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V 


THE  TRAGEDIES 
OF   THE    MEDICI 


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THE   TRAGEDIES 
OF    THE    MEDICI 


BY    EDGCUMBE    STALEY 

AUTHOR  OF  "the  GUILDS  OF   FLORENCE," 
"RAPHAEL,"       "  FRA       ANGELICO,"       ETC. 


ILL USTRA TED 


"^ 


LONDON 

T.   WERNER    LAURIE 

CLIFFORD'S  INN,  FLEE'^  ^TREET 


■DS7  3  7.  -^^ 

^?3 


TO   THE   MEMORY    OF    MY 
FATHER 

THOMAS    STALEY 


PREFACE 

When  Alexandre  Dumas  wrote  his  Crimes  of 
the  Borgias  —  and  other  "Crimes"  —  he  fully 
intended  to  compile  a  companion  volume,  treat- 
ing of  episodes  in  the  great  family  of  the 
Medici.  With  this  project  in  view,  he  collected 
much  material,  and  actually  published,  tenta- 
tively, two  interesting  brochures  :  Une  Annee  a 
Florence — in  1841,  and  Les  Galeries  de  Florence 
— in  1842. 

Nothing,  however,  came  of  his  more  ambitious 
"  idea,"  and,  until  to-day,  no  one  has  taken  in 
hand  to  write  The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici. 
My  attention  was  first  directed  to  the  omission 
during  the  preparation  of  my  Guilds  of  Florence, 
published  in  1 906  ;  and  I  determined  to  address 
myself  to  the  forging  of  that  lurid  link  in  the 
catena  of  Florentine  romance. 

In  the  following  pages  my  readers  will  see 
that  I  have  entirely  departed  from  the  conven- 
tional conceits  of  the  ordinary  historian.  I  have 
sought  to  set  out  the  whole  truth — not  a  garbled 
version — whilst  I  have  fearlessly  added  decorative 


Preface 

features  where  facts  were  absent  or  were  too 
prosaic. 

The  short  "  Introduction,"  dealing  with  the 
rise  and  ^progress  of  the  house  of  Medici,  will 
be  useful  to  my  public,  and  the  "  Chart  of  the 
Tragedies "  will  assist  students  and  others  in 
their  appreciation  of  my  enterprise — it  is  my 
own  compilation  and  as  complete  as  possible. 

The  "  Bibliography  "  will  help  serious  readers 
to  a  wider  reading  of  my  authorities,  and  the 
Illustrations  —  the  best  procurable  —  will  fix  in 
all  my  readers'  minds  something  of  the  actual 
personalities  of  my  "  Tyrants  "  and  my  "Victims.' 

EDGCUMBE  STALEY. 


VI 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

V 


Preface  ...... 

Introduction  ......         xi 

Chapter  I        .  .  .  .  .  i 

TJie  Pazzi  Conspiracy — Lorenzo,  "//  Magnifico" 
— Giuliano,  ^^  II  Fensieroso  ^\ 

Chapter  II      .  .  .  .  .  .61 

The  First  Tyrannicide — Ippolito,  "//  Cardinale" 
—  Alessandro,  "//  Negro'''' — Lorenzino,  "// 
Terribile  ". 

Chapter  III    .  .  .  .  .  .       102 

A  Father's  Vengeance — Maria,  Giovanni,  and 
Garzia  de'  Medici — Malatesta  de'  Malatesti. 

Chapter  IV     .  .  .  .  .  .152 

Three  Murdered  Princesses — Lucrezia,  Duchess 
of  Ferrara  and  Creole  de'  Contrari — Eleanora 
Garzia,  wife  of  Piero  de  Medici,  Alessandro  Gaci, 
and  Bernardino  degl'  Antinori — Isabella,  Duchess 
of  Bracciano — Troilo  d'Orsini  and  Lelio  Torello. 

Chapter  V      .  .  .  .201 

True  and  False  Lovers — Francesco,  "  //  Virtuoso  " 
— Bianca  Cappello,  "La  Figlia  di  Venezia" — 
Pietro  Buonaventuri — Cassandra  de'  Borghiani — 
Pellegrina  Buonaventuri,  wife  of  Ulisse  Bentivoglio 
— Antonio  Riario. 


Contents 

PAGE 

Chapter  VI     .  .  .  .  .  .       250 

Pathetic  Victims  of  Fateful  Passion — Eleanora 
degli  Albizzi  and  Sforza  Almeni — Camniilla  de' 
Martelli — Virginia  de'  Medici  e  d'Este — Cardinal 
Ferdinando  de'  Medici. 


Bibliography 
Index   . 


291 
293 


Chart  of  the  Tragedies      .  .      End  Papers 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


Bianca  Cappello-Buonaventuri, 

Giovanni  d'Averardo  de'  Medici,  . 

"Journey  of  the  Magi"  (Medici), 

"  Adoration  of  the  Magi "  (Medici), 

Lucrezia  de'  Medici,     . 

Lorenzo  II  Magnifico, 

Giuliano  II  Pensieroso, 

IppoHto — Cardinal, 

Alessandro — First  Duke  of  Florence, 

Giovanni — "  Delle  Bande  Nere," 

Eleanora  de'  Medici,     . 

Maria  Lucrezia  de'  Medici,  . 

Giovanni — Cardinal,     . 

Garzia  de'  Medici, 

Lucrezia — Duchess  of  Ferrara, 

Eleanora — Wife  of  Piero  de'  Medici, 

Piero  de'  Medici, 

Isabella — Duchess  of  Bracciano,  . 

Francesco — Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany, 

Giovanna  de'  Medici,    . 

Don  Antonio  "de'  Medici," 

Pellegrina  Buonaventuri-Bentivoglio, 

Cosimo  I.—"  Tyrant  of  Tyrants," 

Cammilla  de'  Medici, 

Ferdinando  de'  Medici — Cardinal, 


To  face  Title 

To  face  page 

xxii 

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X, 


BfancaCap^    DAUGHTER    OF    VENICE/^ 

^uonaventufi— Second  Consort  of  the  Grand 
^^XFrancesco  De*  Medici. 

X^^O    BRONZING, 
Vim    paV 

XE,     FLORENCE 


\ 


INTRODUCTION 

The  origin  of  the  Medici  family  is  lost  in  the 
mists  of  the  Middle  Ages,  and,  only  here  and 
there,  can  the  historian  gain  glimpses  of  the  lives 
of  early  forbears.  Still,  there  is  sufficient  data,  to 
be  had  for  the  digging,  upon  which  to  transcribe, 
inferentially  at  least,  an  interesting  narrative. 

Away  towards  the  end  of  the  twelfth  century, 
— exact  dates  are  wholly  beside  the  mark — there 
dwelt,  under  the  shadow  of  one  of  the  rugged 
castles  of  the  robber-captains  of  the  Mugello  in 
Tuscany,  a  hard-working  and  trustworthy  bonds- 
man— one  Chiarissimo — "  Old  Honesty,"  as  we 
may  call  him.  He  was  married  to  an  excellent 
helpmeet,  and  was  by  his  lord  permitted  to  till  a 
small  piece  of  land  and  rear  his  family. 

In  addition  to  intelliorence  in  agriculture,  it 
would  seem  that  he,  or  perhaps  his  wife,  possessed 
some  knowledge  of  the  virtues  of  roots  and  herbs, 
for,  in  one  corner  of  his  podere,  he  had  a  garden 
of  "simples."  The  few  peaceable  inhabitants  of 
that  warlike  valley,  and  also  many  a  wounded 
man-at-arms,    sought    "Old    Honesty"    and    his 


Introduction 

wise  mate  for  what  we  now  call  "  kitchen 
remedies." 

Those,  indeed,  were  happy  days  with  respect 
to  suffering  human  nature.  "Kill  or  Cure" 
might  have  been  the  character  of  the  healing  art, 
but  certainly  specialists  had  not  invented  our 
appendicitis  and  other  fashionable  twentieth  - 
century  physical  fashions !  A  little  medical  know- 
ledge sufficed,  and  decoctions,  pillules,  poultices, 
and  bleedings  made  up  the  simple  pharmacopoeia. 

All  the  same,  the  satirical  rhyme,  which  an 
old  chronicler  put  into  the  mouths  of  many  a 
despairing  patient,  in  later  days,  may  have  been 
true  also  of  "  Old  Honesty  "  and  his  nostrums  : 

"  There's  not  a  herb  nor  a  root 
Nor  any  remedy  to  boot 
Which  can  stave  death  off  by  a  foot ! " 

Of  that  good  couple's  family  only  one  name 
has  been  preserved — Gianbuono,  "  Good  John." 
Passerini  says  he  was  a  priest — probably  he  means 
a  hermit.  Anyhow,  he  acquired  more  property 
in  the  Valle  della  Sieve  and  founded  a  church 
— Santa  Maria  dell'  Assunta  —  possibly  the 
enlargement  of  his  cell — upon  Monte  Senario, 
between  the  valley  of  the  Arno  and  that  of  the 
Sieve. 

Ser  Gianbuono — ecclesiastic  or  not — had  two 


Introduction 

sons — Bonagiunto,  "  Lucky  Lad,"  and  Chiarissimo 
II.  In  those  primitive  times  nobody  troubled 
about  surnames — idiosyncrasy  of  any  kind  was  a 
sufficient  indication  of  individuality.  The  brothers 
were  enterprising  fellows,  and  both  made  tracks 
for  Florence,  which — risen  Phoenix  -  like  from 
barbarian  ashes — was  thriving  marvellously  as  a 
mart  for  art  and  craft. 

Ser  Bonagiunto,  in  the  first  decade  of  the 
thirteenth  century,  was  living  in  the  Sestiere  di 
Porta  del  Duomo,  and  working  busily  in  wood 
and  stone,  the  stalwart  parent  of  a  vigorous 
progeny.  It  was  his  great-grandson,  Ardingo — a 
famous  athlete  in  the  giostre  and  a  soldier  of 
renown — who  first  of  his  family  attained  the 
rank  of  Signore. 

Ser  Chiarissimo,  between  1 201- 1 210,  owned 
a  tower  near  San  Tommaso,  at  the  north-east 
angle  of  the  Mercato  Vecchio — later,  the  family 
church  of  the  Medici — and  under  it  a  bottega,  or 
canova,  for  the  sale  of  his  grandmother's  recipes. 
Over  the  door  he  put  up  his  sign — seven  golden 
Pillole  di  Speziale — pills  or  balls,  which  were 
emblazoned  upon  the  proud  escutcheon  of  his 
descendants.  He  was  called  '' il  Medico''  — 
"the  doctor" — hence  the  family  name  "Medici." 
These  were  the  days  when  the  foundations  of 
the  fortunes  of  many  great  Florentine  families  were 


Introduction 

laid.  The  loaning  of  money  was  the  royal  road 
to  affluence,  and  everybody  who,  by  chance,  had 
a  spare  gold  florin  or  two,  became  ipso  facto  a 
''Presto''  or  bank.  Next,  after  lending  to  one 
another  with  a  moderate  profit — a  dono  di  tempo 
or  a  merito — "quick  returns,"  came  the  ambitious 
system  of  State  loans,  with  the  regulated  interesso 
and  the  speculative  dealings  mCambio — on 'Change 
— with  boroccolo — "unexpected  gain,"  and  ritrav- 
gola — "sly  advantage,"  or,  as  we  say,  "sharp 
practice." 

Ser  Filippo,  or  "  Lippo  " — the  twin  son,  as  the 
name  implies,  of  Ser  Chiarissimo  II. — what  hap- 
pened to  the  other  twin  we  do  not  know — was  prob- 
ably the  first  of  his  family  of  doctor-apothecaries 
to  deliberately  abandon  his  less  lucrative  profession 
and  establish  himself  as  a  banker  in  the  Mercato 
Nuovo.  Anyhow,  his  two  sons  were  born  and 
baptised  under  the  happy  auspices  of  plenty  of 
money ! 

The  elder,  the  prosperous  doctor-banker,  was 
jubilantly  called  Averardo — "  Blessed  with  good 
means,"  and  the  younger  was  christened  Chiaris- 
simo III.,  to  mark  quite  sententiously  that,  whilst 
his  bank-balance  was  considerable,  it  had  been 
accumulated  by  honest  dealing ! 

True  to  the  variable  law  of  vicissitude,  this 
Averardo  I.  failed  to  make  any  very  great  name 


Introduction 

for  himself,  as  might  have  been  expected  in  a  lad 
of  so  much  promise.  He  was  shadowed  doubtless 
by  his  more  strenuous  parent.  Still,  he  added 
to  the  family  possessions  by  acquiring  the  lay- 
patronage  of  the  churches  of  San  Pietro  a  Sieve 
and  San  Bartolommeo  di  Petrone.  Near  the 
latter  he  built  a  castello,  or  fortress,  which  was 
then  considered  a  title  to  nobility.  He  made  also 
a  prosperous  marriage  with  Donna  Benricevuta 
de'  Sizi. 

Messer  Averardo's  son,  Averardo  II.,  was, 
in  the  crisscross  nature  of  things,  a  man  of 
stronger  grit  than  his  father.  He  came  to  great 
honour  as  well  as  to  great  riches.  Elected  Prior 
in  1304,  he  was  chosen  as  Gonfaloniere  di 
Giustizia  in  13 14,  and,  between  these  dates,  in 
131 1,  Ser  Teghia  de'  Sizi,  his  mother's  brother, 
made  him  his  heir,  and  gave  him,  besides  full 
money-bags,  much  valuable  property  and  ecclesi- 
astical patronage.  To  his  surname  of  Medici  he 
added  that  of  Sizi :  he  was  the  wealthiest  citizen 
of  his  day  in  Florence.  His  wife,  Donna  Mandina 
di  Filippo  de'  Arrigucci  of  Fiesole,  gave  him  six 
sons — Giacopo,  Giovenco,  Francesco,  Salvestro, 
Talento,  and  Conte.  All  of  them  rose  to  eminence 
in  the  State,  but  of  one  only  can  the  story  be  told 
here — Salvestro. 

Messer  Salvestro  de'  Medici — who  must  not 


Introduction 

be  confounded  with  his  celebrated  namesake  and 
kinsman,  the  "  Grand  "  Salvestro — married  Donna 
Lisa  de'  Donati,  of  which  union  three  sons  were 
the  issue — Talento,  Giovenco,  and  Averardo  III. 
Salvestro  di  Averardo  II.  bore  another  Christian 
name — Chiarissimo — the  old-world  cognomen  of 
his  family.  Possibly  his  father  thought  it  wise  to 
stand  well  with  the  world  and  parade  his  honesty  ; 
for  whatever  ill-gotten  gains  other  bankers  ac- 
quired, he,  at  least,  was  an  upright  man,  and  his 
profits  were  just ! 

Anyhow,  Messer  Salvestro  became  popular 
for  rectitude  in  his  private  life,  and  for  his  un- 
selfish discharge  of  public  duties.  He  was  chosen 
to  fill  many  responsible  offices  of  State,  and 
reached  the  goal  of  personal  ambition  as  am- 
bassador to  Venice,  in  1336,  His  youngest  son, 
Averardo  III.,  acquired  the  sobriquet  of  "  Bicci  " 
— the  exact  meaning  of  which  is  problematical — 
it  may  mean  a  "worthless  fellow"  or  "one  who 
lives  in  a  castle  !  "  Nothing  indeed  is  related  of 
him,  but,  perhaps,  like  Brer  Fox,  of  a  later  epoch, 
he  was  content  "to  lie  low"  and  enjoy,  without 
much  exertion,  the  good  things  his  ancestors  had 
provided  for  him. 

Messer  Averardo  married  twice  —  Giovanna 
de'  Cavallini  and  Giovanna  de'  Spini.  By  the 
first  he   became   the  father  of  one  of  the  very 


Introduction 

greatest  of  the  Medici — Giovanni,  the  parent  of 
a  still  more  famous  son — Cosimo. 

At  this  period  Florence  was  ruled  by  Whalter 
von  Brienne — the  so-called  Duke  of  Athens — 
sagacious,  treacherous  and  depraved.  He  sought 
to  make  himself  Lord  of  Florence  by  skilfully 
playing  the  various  political  parties  one  against 
the  other.  The  Grandi  he  kept  in  check  by 
the  Popolo  Minuto,  but  ignored  the  Popolo  Grasso, 
to  which  the  Medici  belonged.  Under  Giovanni 
de'  Medici,  Gugflielmo  deg^li  Altoviti,  and  Ber- 
nardo  de'  Rucellai,  the  middle  class  rose  against 
the  usurper ;  but  their  plans  miscarried,  and  the 
leaders  were  imprisoned  and  fined. 

A  Giovanni  de'  Medici  was  beheaded  in  1342 
— the  first  recorded  "  Tragedy  of  the  Medici." 
As  to  who  this  unfortunate  man  was,  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  say.  He  is  called  "the  son  of  Bernardo 
de'  Medici,"  but  no  such  name  appears  in  the 
early  records  of  the  family.  He  was  probably  a 
descendant  of  Bonagiunto,  a  son  of  Ardingo  de' 
Medici,  who  was  a  violent  enemy  of  the  Ghibellines, 
and  Gon/aiofiiere  di  Giustizia,  in  1296  and  1307, 
and  brother  of  Francesco,  Captain  of  Pistoja  in 
1338,  and  one  of  the  principal  participants  in  the 
expulsion  of  the  hated  Duke. 

The  first  of  the  "  Grand  "  Medici  was  Salvestro, 
son  of  Alamanno,  of  the  line  of  Chiarissimo  HI., 


Introduction 

called  "The  German,"  because  of  his  alien 
Teutonic  mother.  Great-great-grandson  of  Ser 
Filippo,  the  last  of  the  doctor  -  apothecaries, 
Salvestro  does  not  appear  to  have  gone  in  for  the 
steady,  unromantic  life  of  a  banker,  but  to  have 
addressed  his  energies  to  the  profession  of  arms. 
Nevertheless,  he  was  chosen  Prior  in  1318,  and 
contributed,  during  peace,  to  the  advancement  of 
his  city's  interest.  Upon  the  outbreak  of  war 
with  the  Visconti  of  Milan,  in  1351,  he  was 
appointed  commander  of  the  Florentine  forces. 

His  sterling  grit  made  itself  apparent  in  the 
vigour  with  which  at  the  head  of  no  more  than 
one  hundred  men  he  relieved  the  town  and  fortress 
of  Scarperia,  on  the  Mugello  hills,  besieged  by  the 
invaders.  For  his  bravery  he  was  knighted  by  the 
Signoria.  Cavaliere  Salvestro  de'  Medici  sided 
with  the  aristocratic  party,  and  proclaimed  him- 
self a  Ghibelline  —  consorting  with  the  noble 
families  of  Albizzi,  Ricci,  and  Strozzi.  Their  aim 
was  to  convert  the  Republic  into  an  oligarchy 
under  Piero  degli  Albizzi. 

The  Popolo  Mifiuto,  thoroughly  alarmed  at  this 
menace  of  liberty  and  popular  government, 
appointed  leaders,  who  approached  Cavaliere 
Salvestro,  in  1370,  when  he  held  the  supreme 
office  of  Gonfaloniere  di  Giustizia,  to  safeguard 
the  interests  of  the  tradespeople  and  lower  classes. 


Introduction 

He  gave  heed  to  their  representations,  for  he 
cunningly  perceived  that  he  might  ride  into  the 
undisputed  leadership  of  the  great  popular  party, 
the  Guelphs,  and  so  checkmate  his  other  allies,  the 
aristocrats !  As  head  of  a  powerful  branch  of  the 
rising  family  of  Medici,  members  of  the  Popolo 
Grasso,  or  wealthy  middle  class,  Cavaliere  Salvestro 
became  the  champion  of  the  people.  All  round 
his  popularity  was  established,  for  people  said,  "  He 
was  born  for  the  safety  of  the  Republic."  He 
was  tactful  enough  to  conceal  the  personal  bent 
of  his  policy,  and  acted  upon  the  maxim,  which  he 
was  never  tired  of  repeating :  "  Never  make  a 
show  before  the  people ! "  As  Gonfaloniere  he 
summoned  a  Parliament  of  representatives  of  all 
parties  and  classes  at  the  Palazzo  Vecchio,  with 
a  view  to  the  composition  of  differences  and  the 
maintenance  of  public  order. 

The  Ghibellines  would  have  none  of  his  pro- 
posals, but  privately  they  were  divided  amongst 
themselves,  seeing  which,  the  Cavaliere  astutely 
announced  the  resignation  of  his  office.  This 
had  the  effect  he  expected — the  Palazzo  and  the 
Piazza  outside  rang  with  the  old  cry — "  Liberia  !  " 
"  Liberia  !"'  "  Evviva  it  Popolo  .^  "  "  Evviva  il 
Gonfaloniere  I  "  Salvestro  de'  Medici  was  master 
of  the  situation — the  first  of  his  family  to  attain 
the  virtual,  if  not  the  real,  control  of  the  State. 


Introduction 

The  revolution  spread  through  the  city ;  the 
palaces  of  the  Ghibelline  nobles  were  sacked  and 
burnt.  A  period  of  discord  and  disaster  followed, 
but,  with  the  firm  hand  of  Salvestro  de'  Medici 
upon  the  helm  of  the  ship  of  the  Republic,  matters 
settled.  In  1376  he  was  unanimously  chosen 
Capitano  delta  Parte  Guetfa — an  office  of  still 
more  personal  influence  than  the  Gonfaloniership. 
No  one  questioned  his  authority.  He  was,  as  the 
historian,  Michaele  Bruto,  has  recorded,  "The  first 
of  his  family  to  show  his  successors  how  that  by 
conciliating  the  middle  and  lower  classes  they 
could  make  their  way  to  sovereignty." 

Another  crisis  in  the  history  of  Florence  arose 
in  1378,  during  Cavaliere  Salvestro  de'  Medici's 
second  Gonfaloniership,  when  the  Ciompi — 
"  Wooden  Shoes  "  they  were  called  in  derision— 
the  wool-workers — rose  en  masse,  and  besieged 
the  Signoria  sitting  at  the  Palazzo  Vecchio. 
They  claimed  to  rule  the  city  and  to  abolish  the 
nobles,  and  a  second  time  Salvestro  was  "  the 
man  of  the  hour !  " 

Acting  upon  his  advice,  terms  were  arranged 
with  the  revolutionaries,  and  Michaele  Lando — a 
common  woolcarder  by  trade,  but  a  born  leader 
of  men — was  elected  Gonfatoniere  di  Giustizia, 
and  a  new  government  was  set  up.  Upon 
Salvestro,    "the   Champion  of  the   People,"   was 


Introduction 

again  conferred  by  public  acclamation  the  accolade 
of  knighthood  ;  moreover,  as  a  further  mark  of 
popular  estimation,  to  him  were  allocated  the 
rents  of  the  shops  upon  the  Ponte  Vecchio  and 
other  prerogatives. 

The  public  spirit  displayed  by  Cavaliere 
Salvestro  gained  for  him  not  only  personal  dis- 
tinction and  reward,  but  obtained  for  his  family 
recognition  as  the  first  in  Florence.  He  married 
Donna  Bartolommea,  the  daughter  of  Messer 
Oddo  degli  Altoviti,  by  whom  he  had  many 
children.  None  of  his  sons  seem  to  have  added, 
laurels  to  the  family  fame,  but  to  have  lived  peace- 
fully in  the  glamour  of  their  father's  renown. 
The  Cavaliere  retired  into  private  life  in  1380, 
and  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1388,  marked 
the  establishment  of  Medicean  domination  in  the 
affairs  of  Florence. 

The  second  of  the  "  Grand "  Medici  was 
Giovanni,  the  son  of  Averardo  III,  —  called 
"  Bicci  " — and  his  first  wife,  Donna  Giovanna  de' 
Cavallini,  born  in  1360.  He  was  just  twenty- 
eight  years  of  age  when  his  popular  relative, 
Cavaliere  Salvestro  de'  Medici,  died.  His  young 
manhood  found  him  in  the  very  forefront  of  party 
strife,  and  from  the  first  he  held  unswervingly 
with  the  Guelphs. 

Married,  in  1384,  to  Donna  Piccarda,  daughter 


Introduction 

of  Messer  Odoardo  de'  Bueri,  he  was  the  father 
of  four  sons — Antonio,  Damiano,  Cosimo,  and 
Lorenzo — the  two  former  died  in  childhood.  The 
choice  of  names  for  two  of  the  boys  is  significant 
of  the  value  Messer  Giovanni  placed  upon  his 
family's  origin — Saints  Damiano  and  Cosimo,  of 
course,  were  patrons  of  doctors  and  apothecaries. 
Hence  he  was  not  ashamed  of  the  golden  pillules 
of  his  armorial  bearings ! 

Messer  Giovanni  developed  extraordinary 
strength  of  character ;  he  was  a  born  ruler  of 
men,  and  a  passionate  patriot.  He  gained  the 
goodwill  of  his  fellow-citizens  by  his  unselfishness 
and  generosity — truly  not  too  common  in  the 
bearing  of  men  of  his  time.  He  served  the  office 
of  Prior  in  1402,  1408,  141 1  ;  he  was  ambassador 
to  Naples  in  1406,  and  to  Pope  Alessandro  V.  in 
1409;  and,  in  1407,  he  held  the  lucrative  post 
of  Podesta  of  Pistoja. 

In  142 1  Messer  Giovanni  de'  Medici  was 
elected  Gonfalomere  di  Giustizia,  as  the  represen- 
ative  of  the  middle  classes,  and  in  opposition  to 
Messeri  Rinaldo  degli  Albizzi  and  Niccolo  da 
Uzzano,  the  Ghibelline  nominees.  The  Republic 
sighed  for  peace,  the  crafts  for  quietness ;  but 
the  immense  liabilities  incurred  by  many  costly 
military  enterprises  had  to  be  met.  Messer 
Giovanni  proposed,   in   1427,  a  tax  which  should 


GIOVANNI    D'AVERARDO    DE'    MEDICI- called  '*  Bkci.' 

Angelo  Bronzino. 

rrr-i/i  gali.kkv,  morhnci;. 


Introduction 

not  weigh  too  heavily  upon  anybody.  Each 
citizen  who  was  possessed  of  a  capital  of  one 
hundred  grold  florins,  or  more,  was  mulcted  in  a 
payment  to  the  State  of  half  a  gold  florin  (ten 
shillings  circa).  This  tax,  which  was  called  "// 
Catasto,''  \^2S  unanimously  accepted — "  it  pleased 
the  common  people  greatly."  Messer  Giovanni 
was  taxed  as  heavily  as  anyone,  namely,  three 
hundred  gold  florins — indicative,  incidentally,  of 
his  wealth  and  honesty. 

Giovanni  associated  with  himself  another 
prominent  man,  Messer  Agnolo  de'  Pandolfini, 
the  leader  of  the  "  Peace-at-any- Price  "  party,  who 
is  remembered  in  the  annals  of  Florence  as 
"The  Peaceful  Citizen."  The  main  points  of 
their  policy  were: — (i)  Peace  abroad;  (2)  Pros- 
perity at  home  ;  (3)  Low  taxation. 

No  combination  of  his  opponents — and  they 
were  many  and  unscrupulous  —  was  able  to 
damage  Messer  Giovanni's  reputation  and 
power.  He  could,  had  he  wished  it,  have  pro- 
claimed himself  sole  ruler  of  Florence  and  her 
territory  ;  but  self-control  and  prudence — which 
were  so  characteristic  of  the  men  of  his  family — 
never  forsook  him.  He  died  universally  regretted 
in  1429,  and  was  buried  in  the  church  of  San 
Lorenzo,  which  he,  along  with  the  Martelli,  had 
restored  and  endowed. 


Introduction 

Giovanni  di  Averardo  de'  Medici  was  looked 
upon  as  the  first  banker  in  Italy,  the  controller 
of  the  credit  of  Florence  and  the  prince  of 
financiers.  Cavalcanti,  Macchiavelli,  Ammirato, 
and  almost  all  other  historians,  describe  him  as 
"  Large-hearted,  liberal-minded,  courteous  and 
charitable,  dispensing  munificent  alms  with 
delicate  consideration  of  the  feelings  and  wants  of 
those  whom  he  assisted.  Never  suing  for  honours, 
he  gained  them  all.  Hostile  to  public  pecula- 
tions he  strove  disinterestedly  for  the  public  good. 
He  died  rich  in  this  world's  ofoods,  but  richer  still 
in  the  groodwill  of  his  fellow-citizens." 

Many  have  sought,  nevertheless,  to  belittle 
Messer  Giovanni's  reputation  —  attributing  to 
him  a  motive  for  all  his  urbanity — that  of  the 
permanent  domination  of  his  house  in  the  govern- 
ment of  the  Republic — not  surely  a  fault.  His 
old  rival  in  the  arena  of  politics,  Niccolo  da 
Uzzano,  ever  spoke  of  him  after  his  death  with 
unstinted  praise  and  admiration. 

Messer  Giovanni  shares  with  Cavaliere 
Salvestro  the  undying  fame  of  having  raised, 
upon  the  excellent  foundation  laid  by  their 
ancestors,  the  massive  supporting  walls  of  that 
superb  edifice,  of  which  his  son,  Cosimo,  formed 
the  cupola,  and  his  great-grandson,  Lorenzo — the 
lantern — "the  Light  of  Italy." 


Introduction 

The  third  and  fourth  "Grand"  Medici  were, 
of  course,  Cosimo,  "//  Padre  della  Patria,''  and 
Lorenzo,  "//  Magnijico.''  The  stories  of  their 
Hves  and  exploits  are  to  be  read  in  the  stories, 
the  literature  and  the  arts  of  Florence.  Of 
Cosimo,   Niccolo  Macchiavelli  wrote  as  follows : 

"  He  applied  himself  so  strenuously  to  increase 
the  political  power  of  his  house,  that  those  who 
had  rejoiced  at  Giovanni's  death  now  regretted  it, 
perceiving  what  manner  of  man  Cosimo  was.  Of 
consummate  prudence,  staid  yet  agreeable  pre- 
sence, he  was  liberal  and  humane.  He  never 
worked  against  his  own  party,  or  against  the 
State,  and  was  prompt  in  giving  aid  to  all.  His 
liberality  gained  him  many  partisans  among  the 
citizens." 

Born  in  1389,  he  early  evinced  mercantile 
proclivities,  and  when  a  lad  of  no  more  than 
seventeen  Messer  Giovanni,  his  father,  placed  him 
in  charge  successively  of  several  of  the  foreign 
agencies  of  the  Medici  bank.  Young  Cosimo 
used  his  opportunities  so  well  that  he  was  looked 
upon  as  a  successful  financier,  and  came  to  be 
called  "  The  Great  Merchant  of  Florence  !  " 

He  was  jokingly  wont  to  say:  "Two  yards 
of  scarlet  cloth  are  enough  to  make  a  citizen ! " 
Nevertheless  he  had  a  deep  regard  for  the  opinions 
and  privileges  of  his  fellow  Florentines.     One  of 


Introduction 

his  constant  sayings  was  :  "  One  must  always  con- 
sult the  will  of  the  people" — and  "the  people" 
replied  by  acclaiming  him  "  II Padre  delta  Patria.'' 

Cosimo  has  been  called  "  a  great  merchant  and 
a  grand  party-leader :  the  first  of  Florentines  by 
birth  and  the  first  of  Italians  by  culture."  He  died 
in  1464.  His  father  left  in  cash  a  fortune  of  nearly 
180,000  grold  florins,  but  Cosimo's  estate  totalled 
upwards  of  230,000 — cif'ca  ^^  100, 000 — a  vast 
amount  in  those  days  ! 

After  the  strong  personality  of  Cosimo  and 
his  masterful  manipulation  of  commercial  and 
political  affairs,  perhaps  the  unambitious  rule  of  his 
son  Piero  was  a  necessary  and  healthful  corollary. 
Piero  de'  Medici  maintained  the  ground  his  father 
had  made  his  own,  and  gave  away  nothing  of  the 
predominance  of  his  family,  and  he  made  way, 
after  a  brief  exercise  of  authority,  for  his  brilliant 
son,  Lorenzo. 

Piero's  character  and  career  again  prove  the 
truth  of  the  adage  :  "  Ability  rarely  runs  in  two 
successive  generations."  All  the  same,  he  died  in 
1409,  leaving  his  sons  the  heirs  to  nearly  300,000 
gold  florins ! 

Lorenzo,  "//  Magnijico''  was  the  first  of  the 
"  Grand  "  Medici  to  give  up  entirely  all  connection 
with  commercial  pursuits  and  banking  interests. 
His  tenure  of  office,  by  a  curious  paradox,  marks 


Introduction 

the  termination  of  the  financial  liberties  of 
Florence !  He  was  an  all-round  genius — there 
was  nothing  he  could  not  do — and  do  well ! 
"  Whatever  is  worth  doing  at  all,"  he  was  wont 
to  say,  "is  worth  doing  well." 

With  his  death,  in  1492,  as  Benedetto  Dei 
said,  "  The  Splendour,  not  of  Tuscany  only,  but 
of  all  Italy,  disappeared." 

With  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century 
dawned  a  new  era.  Preliminary  signs  had 
appeared  in  the  growth  of  wealth,  in  enfranchise- 
ment from  primitive  methods,  and  in  the  evolution 
of  individualism.  Love  of  country  and  the  ties  of 
family  life  were  loosened  by  the  universal  craving 
for  self-indulgence  and  personal  distinction.  Idle- 
ness, sensuality,  and  scepticism — three  baneful 
sisters — gained  the  mastery,  weakening  the  fabric 
of  society,  and  leading  on  to  the  evil  courses  of 
tyrannicide. 

"  The  gradual  extinction  of  public  spirit ;  the 
general  deterioration  of  private  character,  and 
the  exercise  of  unbridled  lust  and  passion,  are 
the  livid  hues  which  tinge  with  the  purple  of 
melancholy  and  the  scarlet  of  tragedy  the  later 
pages  of  Florentine  story." 

The  direct  line  of  Cosimo,  "//  Padre  della 
Patria''    the    elder    surviving    son    of    Messer 


Introduction 

Giovanni  di  Averardo  "  Bicci "  de'  Medici,  ended 
with  Caterina,  Queen  of  France,  the  only  legiti- 
mate child  of  Lorenzo,  Duke  of  Urbino,  and 
last  Capo  della  Repubblica  of  Florence ;  and 
Alessandro  the  Bastard,  first  Duke  of  Florence, 
the  illegitimate  son  of  Pope  Clement  VII. 

The  sovereignty  of  the  Medici  was  maintained 
in  the  person  of  Cosimo,  the  only  son  of  Condot- 
tiere  Giovanni,  "delle  Bande  Nere,"  the  great- 
grandson  of  Lorenzo,  the  younger  of  the  two 
surviving  sons  of  Messer  Giovanni  di  Averardo 
"Bicci"  de'  Medici.  The  rule  of  the  Medici 
Grand  Dukes  of  Tuscany  was  carried  on  from 
Cosimo  I.  to  Gian  Gastone,  seventh  Grand  Duke 
and  last  of  his  line,  who  died  in  1737. 

The  Grand  Duchy  then  passed  to  the  house 
of  Lorraine,  and  with  a  Napoleonic  usurpation 
of  eighteen  years  (1796- 18 14),  it  continued  in  the 
Lorraine  family,  as  represented  by  the  collateral 
Hapsburgs,  till  the  year  1859.  In  that  year, 
King  Vittorio  Emmanuele  of  Piedmont  and 
Sardinia,  entered  Florence,  which,  with  all  Italy, 
was  united  under  the  Royal  Crown  of  the  House 
of  Savoy. 


THE  TRAGEDIES  OF 
THE  MEDICI 


CHAPTER    I 

Lorenzo — "//  Magnifico.'' 
GiULiANO — *'//  Pensierosoy 

"  Signoril "  "  Signoril  " 

Such  was  the  stirring  cry  which  resounded  through 
the  lofty  Council  Chamber  of  the  famous  Palazzo 
Vecchio  that  dull  December  day  in  the  year  1469. 
Never  had  such  a  title  been  accorded  to  any 
one  in  Florence,  where  every  man  was  as  good 
as,  if  not  better  than,  his  neighbour.  Foreign 
sovereigns,  and  their  lieutenants,  who,  from 
time  to  time,  visited  the  city  and  claimed  toll  and 
fealty  from  the  citizens,  had  never  been  addressed 
as  '' SignorV — "Lords  and  Masters."  The 
"  Spirit 0  del  Campanile,^'  as  it  was  called,  was 
nowhere  more  rampant  than  in  the  "  City  of  the 
Lion  and  Lily,"  where  everybody  at  all  times 
seemed  only  too  ready  to  disparage  his  fellow. 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

The  cry  was  as  astounding  as  it  was  unani- 
mous— "  Signori  /  "  "  Signoril  "  "  Evviva  i  due 
Signori  de  Medici  /  "  ' '  Signori  /  "  "  Signori  !  " 
''Evviva  i  due  Jigli  della  Domina  Lucrezia'* 
Thus  it  gathered  strength — its  importance  was 
emphatic — it  was  epoch-marking. 

''Signori!''  " Signori T'  was  the  acknowledg- 
ment of  the  sovereignty  of  the  Medici,  made 
quite  freely  and  spontaneously  by  the  dignified 
Lords  of  the  Signory,  in  the  name  of  the  whole 
population  of  Florence  and  Tuscany. 

Piero  de'  Medici  died  on  3rd  December  1469, 
and  his  interment,  which  was  conducted  with 
marked  simplicity,  in  accordance  with  his  will, 
was  completed  that  same  evening.  He  had, 
during  his  short  exercise  of  power  as  Capo  della 
Repubblica,  given  a  pageant — "  The  Triumph  of 
Death,"  he  called  it,  by  way  of  being  his  own 
funeral  obsequies — a  grim  anticipation  of  the 
future  indeed ! 

At  midnight  a  secret  meeting  of  citizens  was 
convened,  by  the  officials  of  the  Signoria,  within 
the  Monastery  of  Sant'  Antonio  by  the  old  Porta 
Faenza,  to  debate  the  question  of  filling  the  vacant 
Headship  of  the  State.  Why  such  a  remote 
locality  was  chosen  is  not  stated,  but  it  was  in 
conformity  with  Florentine  usage,  which,  for 
general  and  personal  security,  required  secrecy  in 
such  gatherings. 

More  than  six  hundred — "the   flower  of  the 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

city  "  as  Macchiavelli  called  them — attended,  and 
upon  the  proposition  of  Ridolfo  de'  Pandolfini, 
Messer  Tommaso  Soderini,  by  reason  of  seniority 
of  years  and  priority  of  importance,  was  called 
upon  to  preside.  "  Being  one  of  the  first  citizens 
and  much  superior  to  the  others,  his  prudence  and 
authority  were  recognised  not  only  in  Florence, 
but  by  all  the  rulers  of  Italy." 

The  Soderini  had,  for  three  hundred  years, 
held  a  leading  position  in  the  affairs  of  Florence  ; 
but  they  were  rivals  and  enemies  of  the  Medici. 
Indeed  Messer  Tommaso's  uncle — Ser  Francesco 
— was  one  of  the  principal  opponents  in  the  city 
counsels  of  Cosimo — ''il  Padre  della  Patriae 
Messer  Niccolo,  his  brother,  carried  on  the  feud,  and 
was,  with  Dietisalvi  Neroni,  Agnolo  Acciaiuolo, 
and  others,  banished  in  1455,  ^^^  their  complicity 
in  the  abortive  attempt  to  assassinate  Piero  de' 
Medici. 

Messer  Tommaso,  more  prescient  and  prudent, 
threw  in  his  lot  with  the  Medici,  and  was  chosen 
by  Piero,  not  only  as  his  own  chief  counsellor  and 
intimate  friend,  but  as  the  principal  adviser  of  his 
two  young  sons — Lorenzo  and  Giuliano.  He  had, 
moreover,  allied  himself  to  the  Medici  by  his 
marriage  with  Dianora  de'  Tornabuoni,  sister  of 
Domina  Lucrezia,  Piero's  wife. 

All  the  same,  he  kept  his  own  counsel  and  took 
up  a  perfectly  independent  line  of  action,  being 
quite  remarkable  for  his  display  of  that  most  pro- 
nounced characteristic  of  all  good  Florentines — 

3 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

the  placing  of  Florence  first — '' Firenze  la 
prima  !  " 

At  the  meeting,  at  Sant'  Antonio,  his  rising 
to  speak  was  the  signal  for  general  applause.  In 
a  few  generous  words  he  eulogised  the  gentle 
virtues  of  Piero  and  bemoaned  his  premature 
death.  In  a  longer  and  more  serious  oration,  on 
the  conditions  politically  and  socially  of  Florence 
and  of  the  whole  State,  he  put  before  his  hearers 
two  uncontrovertible  considerations,  to  guide 
them  in  the  exercise  of  the  selection  of  a  new 
Capo  della  Repubblica, — first.  The  maintenance 
of  unity  and  tranquillity  ;  and  second.  The  pre- 
servation of  the  status  quo. 

Many  and  friendly  were  the  interruptions  of 
the  oration,  and  over  and  over  again  shouts  were 
raised  for  "  Tommaso  Soderiniil  Capo  T'  Grace- 
fully he  bowed  his  acknowledgment,  but,  with 
much  feeling,  declined  the  rare  honour  offered 
him.  Then  he  went  on  to  say  that  as  the 
supreme  office  had  been  worthily  served  by 
Cosimo  and  Piero  de'  Medici,  it  was  but  fitting 
that  it  should  be  continued  in  that  illustrious 
family. 

He  expatiated  upon  the  advantages  which  had 
accrued  to  Florence  under  the  Headship  of  the 
Medici ;  and  he  urged  upon  the  assembly  to  offer 
their  allegiance  to  Piero's  sons,  and  to  give  them 
the  authority  that  their  father  and  grandfather  had 
possessed. 

Keen  debate  followed  Messer  Tommaso's 
4 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

speech  :  some  wished  that  he  would  reconsider  his 
decision,  others  were  in  favour  of  trying  a  new 
man  and  of  another  family — Niccolo  Soderini's 
name  was  freely  mentioned,  but  gradually  the 
meeting  came  to  accept  the  proposal.  It  gained 
at  all  events  the  adhesion  of  such  pronounced 
ante-Mediceans  as  Gianozzo  de'  Pitti  and 
Domenico  de'  Martelli,  and  led  to  a  fusion,  there 
and  then,  of  the  two  parties,  '' del  Poggio''  and 
'^^ del  Piano''  Unanimity  was  the  more  readily 
reached  when  those  who  demurred  perceived  that 
Messer  Tommaso  would  be  the  virtual  ruler  of  the 
State  in  the  personal  direction  of  his  two  young 
nephews.  A  deputation  was  accordingly  chosen 
to  convey  to  Domina  Lucrezia  and  her  sons  the 
condolences  of  the  city,  and  to  offer  to  Lorenzo 
the  coveted  Headship  of  the  State. 

At  noon  on  the  following  day  the  deputation 
was  honourably  received  at  the  Medici  Palace. 
"  The  principal  men  of  the  State  and  of  the  City," 
wrote  Lorenzo  in  his  Rtcordi,  "came  to  our  house 
to  condole  with  us  in  our  bereavement,  and  to 
offer  me  the  direction  of  the  Government  in 
succession  to  my  grandfather  and  father.  I  hesi- 
tated to  accept  the  high  honour  on  account  of  my 
youth  and  because  of  the  danger  and  responsibility 
I  should  incur ;  and  I  only  consented  in  order  to 
safeguard  our  friends  and  our  property." 

A  plenary  Parliament  was  summoned  by 
Tommaso  Soderini  and  those  associated  with  him 
in  the  conduct  of  public  affairs  during  the  inter- 

5 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

It  was  held  in  the  great  Council 
Chamber  of  the  Palazzo  Vecchio,  and  was 
attended  by  a  full  concourse  of  senators  and 
other  prominent  citizens,  deputations  from  the 
Guilds,  and  representatives  of  the  Minor  Orders. 
In  the  Piazza  della  Signoria  and  the  adjoining 
streets,  was  assembled  an  immense  crowd  of  people, 
the  greater  part  being  supporters  of  the  Medici. 

Inside  the  Chamber  again  Messer  Tommaso 
Soderini  was  unanimously  elected  president,  and 
forthwith  proceeded  to  report  the  result  of  the 
deputation.  His  speech  was  repeatedly  inter- 
rupted by  cries  that  he  should  reconsider  his 
decision  and  accept  then  and  there  the  Headship 
of  the  State.  He  again  emphatically  declined  the 
honour  his  fellow-citizens  desired  to  confer  upon 
him,  and  proclaimed  Lorenzo  de'  Medici  Capo  della 
Repubblica  Fiorentina. 

At  a  preconcerted  signal  the  arras  over  the 
doorway  leading  to  the  private  audience  chamber 
was  lifted,  and  there  advanced  Piero's  widow 
with  her  two  sons,  clothed  in  the  dark  habiliments 
of  mourning.  Domina  Lucrezia  threw  back  her 
thick  black  veil,  revealing  upon  her  kindly  face  a 
sorrowful  expression  and  her  eyes  suffused  with 
tears.  Making  a  lowly  curtsey  she  drew  herself 
up — a  queenly  figure — and  holding  the  hands  of 
Lorenzo  and  Giuliano,  on  either  side,  made  her 
way  to  where  Messer  Tommaso  Soderini  was 
standing. 

All    eyes  were  bent  upon  the   pathetic  little 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

group,  and  a  sympathetic  murmur  moved  the 
whole  audience.  Every  man  of  them  had  for 
years  regarded  the  Domina  as  the  model  of  what 
a  woman  and  a  wife,  a  mother  and  a  queen,  should 
be.  She  had  no  rivals  and  no  detractors.  Hers 
had  been  the  wise  power  behind  the  throne,  for 
her  tactful  counsels  had  guided  the  actions  of 
her  husband  unerringly. 

Florence  was  greatly  beholden  to  Domina 
Lucrezia — a  debt  which  nothing  could  repay. 
Her  influence  for  good  upon  the  Court,  her 
munificence  in  charity,  and  her  unsparing  un- 
selfishness had  not  been  without  powerful  effect 
upon  every  one  of  those  hard-headed,  hard-hearted 
citizens.  They  called  to  mind  that  well-known 
saying  of  the  "  Father  of  his  Country  " — "  the 
great  merchant" — Cosimo  :  "  Why,  Lucrezia  is  the 
best  man  among  us ! " 

They  reflected,  too,  upon  the  auspicious 
example  set  at  the  Palazzo  Medici,  where  the 
mother's  part  was  conspicuous  in  the  wise  training 
of  her  family  and  in  the  loving  deference  she 
received  from  her  sons.  And  as  they  gazed  upon 
Lorenzo  and  Giuliano  de'  Medici — *'  the  hope  of 
Florence" — they  recognised  in  the  former  a 
statesman,  already  a  ruler  in  the  making.  Young 
though  he  was,  he  had  widely  gained  a  reputation 
for  shrewdness  and  energy,  for  Piero  had  taken 
his  eldest  son  early  into  his  confidence,  and  had 
entrusted  to  him  much  important  State  business. 
He  had  sent  him  with  embassies  to  Rome,  Venice, 

7 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

and  Naples  ;  he  had  despatched  him  upon  a  round 
of  ceremonious  visits  to  foreign  courts ;  and  had 
encouraged  him  to  make  himself  acquainted  with 
all  Tuscany  and  the  Tuscans. 

Lorenzo's  accomplishments  in  the  school  of 
letters  were  known  to  all.  He  was  a  scholar 
and  a  gentleman,  and  these  points  had  great 
weight  in  Florentine  opinion.  In  figure  and 
physiognomy  he  very  greatly  resembled  his  grand- 
father. His  dignified  bearing  greatly  impressed  the 
assembly,  whilst  his  unaffected  modesty,  pleasant 
courtesy,  and  graceful  oratory,  gratified  them  all. 

In  Giuliano  they  had  a  typical  young  courtier, 
handsome,  athletic,  accomplished,  and  enthusiastic. 
His  physical  charms  appealed  to  every  one,  for 
most  Florentines  were  Greeks  of  the  Greeks.  A 
precocious  boy  of  sixteen  years  of  age,  he  had  the 
promise  of  a  brilliant  young  manhood  and  a 
splendid  maturity. 

The  personal  equation  is  always  a  prominent 
factor  in  human  ambitions,  and  nowhere  was  it 
more  emphatically  dominant  than  in  the  mutual 
jealousies  of  the  men  of  Florence.  The  "x+y" 
sign  of  absolute  assurance  had  its  match  and  equal 
in  the  "x-y"  sign  of  restrictive  deference.  If 
one  Messer  arrived  at  some  degree  of  prominence, 
then  the  best  way  for  him  to  attain  his  end  was 
to  pit  himself  against  another  of  his  class  nearest 
to  him  in  influence.  If  ^^  was  not  to  gain  the 
guerdon,  then  his  rival  should  not  have  it ! 

This  was  the  spirit  which  permeated  the 
8 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

raison  cCHre  of  each  noble  lord  in  that  grreat 
assembly.  After  the  first  wave  of  enthusiasm 
had  passed,  each  man  began  to  reflect  that  the 
best  way,  after  all,  for  settling  the  contentious 
question  of  the  Headship  of  the  Republic,  was  to 
rule  every  one  of  the  "magnificent  six  hundred" 
out  of  the  running ;  and  by  taking  the  line  of 
least  resistance  plump  for  the  unassuming  youths 
before  them — Medici  although  they  were. 

"  Signori! "  *'  Signori!  "  again  ran  through  the 
lofty  chamber,  '*/  Signori  di  Firenze  T'  Some 
cried  out  "  Lorenzo,  "  and  some  "Giuliano,"  and 
others  "/  tutte  due'' — but  shouts  for  Lorenzo 
waxed  the  loudest.  Thus  by  general  acclamation 
was  the  new  Capo  delta  Repubblica  elected. 

Abashed  by  the  vociferations  of  their  elders 
and  yet  encouraged  by  the  unanimity  of  the 
assembly,  the  two  young  men  stood  gravely 
bowing  their  acknowledgments,  the  heightened 
colour  of  their  faces  and  the  nervous  tension  of 
their  frames  indicating  the  fervency  of  their 
emotions.  In  a  few  well-chosen  sentences 
Lorenzo  expressed  his  pleasure  and  Giuliano's, 
and  the  gratitude  of  their  mother  at  this  signal 
mark  of  confidence  ;  and  promised  to  uphold  the 
traditions  of  the  City  and  the  State,  as  his  for- 
bears had  done,  craving  from  the  noble  lords 
their  united  sympathy  and  support. 

Gently  leading  the  now  smiling  Domina 
Lucrezia  by  the  hand,  the  two  brothers  returned 
to  the  private  Hall  of  Audience,  while  the  great 

9 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

bell  of  the  Palazzo  boomed  forth  the  news  to 
the  waiting  crowd  outside.  The  wool-workers 
had  ceased  their  toil,  the  artists  had  left  their 
botteghe,  the  markets  were  deserted,  and  all 
Florence  forgathered  in  the  Piazza  to  welcome 
"  /  Signori  di  Firenze  !  " 

Loud  plaudits  greeted  the  noble  matron  and 
her  sons — not  the  battle-cry  '' Palle  1  Palle!''' 
indeed — but  '' Evviva  i  Medici!''  ''Lorenzo !" 
'' Giuliano !  "  ''La  buona  Domina  Magnifica!'^ 
.  .  .  Their  progress  was  a  triumph,  they  could 
scarcely  make  their  way,  short  as  it  was,  to  the 
Via  Larga,  for  everybody  pressed  forward  to  kiss 
and  stroke  their  hands.  Never  had  there  been 
anything  like  so  popular  an  election  in  Florence  ; 
men  and  women  shed  tears  as  they  uttered  raptur- 
ously their  names  ;  for  were  not  "  Lorenzo"  and 
"  Giuliano  "  the  "  pets  of  the  people,"  and  was  not 
the  Domina  Lucrezia  beloved  by  everyone ! 

The  plenary  Parliament,  having  completed  its 
labours,  broke  up  immediately,  and  the  excellent 
lords  and  worthy  citizens  hied  them  to  their 
palaces,  their  banks,  and  their  offices,  more  or 
less  pleased  with  the  morning's  work.  Not  a  few 
reflected,  rather  grimly,  that  they  had  placed  two 
young  lives  between  themselves  and  the  seat  of 
supreme  authority.  Their  sons  might  live  to  rule 
Florence,  but  their  own  chances  had  vanished 
for  ever ! 

Lorenzo  was  not  backward  in  gripping,  with 

lO 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

a  firm  hand,  the  reins  of  power.  Young  as  he 
was,  he  had  already  formed  his  ideals  and  laid  out 
his  plans  as  to  the  best  government  of  the  State. 
The  yearly  symposia  in  the  Casentino  had  been 
productive  of  much  good  in  the  training  of  the 
youthful  ruler.  The  direction  of  his  opinions  was 
signified  in  that  saying  of  his  :  "He  who  would 
live  in  Florence  must  know  how  to  govern ! " 

The  repetition  of  this  phrase  was  perhaps 
indiscreet,  and  it  caused  searchings  of  heart,  as 
the  meaning  of  it  was  borne  in  upon  the  com- 
prehensions of  the  least  friendly  of  the  citizens. 
Lorenzo  was  clearly  set  upon  the  aggrandisement 
•of  his  house  and  the  dependence  of  all  others. 
Allowance  was  made  for  a  lad's  impetuosity,  but 
at  the  same  time  many  a  leader  kept  his  hands 
tightly  pressed  upon  the  machinery  of  govern- 
ment. 

Everyone  perceived  that  the  young  Capo  della 
Repubblica  was  in  full  possession  of  the  solid  grit 
•of  his  pushful  grandfather.  He  had  not  studied 
the  careers  of  his  famous  ancestors,  Salvestro, 
Giovanni,  and  Cosimo,  for  nothing.  Indeed 
Piero,  his  father,  in  writing  to  his  sons  at 
Cafaggiuolo  to  acquaint  them  with  the  death 
of  Cosimo,  "  //  Padre  della  F atria''  in  1463, 
had  pointedly  said  :  "  Your  mother  and  I  offer 
the  character  and  example  of  your  grandfather 
to  our  sons." 

Besides  these  strong  characteristics  he  had 
inherited,   in   a   superlative    degree,    the   shrewd 

II 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

common-sense  of  Piero,  and  his  mother's  pas- 
sionate love  of  Florence,  with  all  her  enthusiasm 
for  what  was  pure,  cultured,  philanthropic, 
and  religious.  Niccolo  Macchiavelli,  somewhat, 
unwillingly,  admitted  that — "  Lorenzo  has  all  the 
high-mindedness  and  liberality  which  anybody 
could  expect  in  one  occupying  such  an  exalted 
station." 

Gruliano  tacitly  and  contentedly  accepted  a 
less  ambitious  and  responsible  role.  Whilst 
Lorenzo  took  the  first  place  and  occupied  him- 
self in  questions  of  State  policy  and  in  the  affairs 
of  the  family,  Giuliano  drew  to  himself  all  the 
younger  men  in  physical  exploit  and  mental 
effort.  From  boyhood  addicted  to  sports  and 
pastimes,  he  became  facile  princeps  in  all  manly 
exercises. 

"//  bel  Giulior'  as  he  was  called  generally, 
was  moreover  the  leader  of  fashion  and  the 
organiser  of  all  the  pageants  and  jousts  with 
which  Lorenzo  and  he  delighted  the  citizens. 
Whilst  devoting  most  of  his  time  to  fun  and 
frolic,  the  young  prince  was  acknowledged  as  one 
of  the  chief  litterati,  and  a  conspicuous  ornament 
of  the  Platonic  Academy. 

The  serious  side  to  his  character  and  his. 
studious  disposition  gained  for  him  the  gentle 
title  of  ''  II  Pensierosor  His  mother's  fond  hope 
was  that  he  should  be  named  a  Cardinal,  not 
merely  a  Papal  princeling,  nor  of  course  a  re- 
ligious reprobate — as,  alas,  most  of  the  Cardinals. 

12 


.  y. 

<  ^. 

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5  H  ^  "^ 

U  Z  u^  ^ 

3  c  o  i 

J  CJ  U  CU 


p 

>  J 
o  2 
o  o 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

were — but  a  devout  wearer  of  the  scarlet  hat, 
and  that  one  day  he  might  even  assume  the 
triple  tiara ! 

Anyhow  Giuliano's  youth  was  as  spotless  as 
it  mioht  be  amid  unchaste  surroundinofs.  His 
passion  for  the  bewitching  Simonetta,  "  The  Star 
of  Genoa,"  seems  to  have  been  the  only  serious 
romance  of  his  life,  and  therein  he  never  aroused 
Marco  de'  Vespucci's  jealousy  by  his  attentions 
to  his  young  wife.  Indeed  the  loves  of  ''libel 
Giulio''  and  ''La  bella  Simonetta''  were  the  talk 
and  the  admiration  of  the  whole  city  : — the  Apollo 
or  the  Mercury  of  the  New  Athens  with  his  Venus 
— Venus  de'  Medici ! 

The  magnificent  Giostra,  or  Tournament, 
which  Lorenzo  celebrated  a  year  before  his 
accession  to  the  Headship  of  the  Republic  was 
but  the  prelude  to  the  exhibition  of  lavish  hospi- 
tality such  as  Florentines,  and  the  strangers  within 
their  gates,  had  never  witnessed.  Banquets, 
ballets  and  pageants  succeeded  one  another  in 
rapid  succession.  Church  and  national  festivals 
gained  splendour  and  circumstance  unrivalled  in 
any  other  city.  Indeed  the  citizens,  from  the 
highest  to  the  meanest,  lived  in  a  whirl  of  festivities 
— and  they  liked  it  well ! 

The  visits  of  friendly  princes  and  other  dis- 
tinguished personages  were  hailed  with  enthusiasm. 
Apparently  there  was  no  bottom  to  the  Medici 
purse  ;  but  actually  the  Capo  delta  Repubblica  was 
playing   rather   fast  and   loose  with  his  opulent 

13 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

patrimony.  There  came  a  day  when  the  strain 
grew  excessive,  and  Lorenzo  was  unable,  had 
he  been  willing,  to  make  advances  to  princely 
suitors,  and  he  lived  to  repent  his  prodigality. 

The  first  notable  visitors  were  Duke  Galeazzo 
Maria  Sforza  of  Milan  and  his  Duchess  Bona, 
Princess  of  Savoy.  The  retinue  which  accom- 
panied the  sovereigns  was  gorgeous,  and  filled 
the  people  of  Florence  with  amazement ;  but  their 
wonder  was  tenfold  greater  when  Lorenzo  dis- 
played still  greater  magnificence  in  their  reception. 
Macchiavelli  has  attributed  the  vast  increase  in  the 
luxurious  habits  of  the  citizens  to  this  splendid 
hospitality. 

Another  remarkable  demonstration  was  that 
which  was  made  in  147 1  upon  the  occasion  of 
the  succession  of  Cardinal  Francesco  delle  Rovere 
to  the  Papal  throne  as  Sixtus  IV.  Lorenzo,  in 
person,  headed  the  special  embassy  which  was 
despatched  from  Florence  to  congratulate  the 
new  pontiff.  The  other  principal  members  were 
Domenico  de'  Martelli,  Agnolo  della  Stufa, 
Bongianio  de'  Gianfigliazzi,  and  Donato  de' 
Acciaiuolo.  Whilst  the  mission  and  its  wealth  of 
offerings  were  received  graciously  by  the  Roman 
Court,  Sixtus  by  no  means  extended  a  cordial 
welcome  to  Lorenzo.  The  request  which  he 
made  for  the  bestowal  of  a  Cardinal's  hat  upon 
his  brother,  Giuliano,  was  refused  somewhat 
brusquely,  although,  to  be  sure,  the  Pope  did 
agree  to  the  transfer  of  the  custody  of  the  finances 

14 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

of  the  Curia  to  the  Medici  bank,  through  the 
intervention  of  Messer  Giovanni  de'  Tornabuoni 
— Lorenzo's  uncle,  a  resident  in  Rome. 

Lorenzo  appears  to  have  made,  however, 
rather  a  favourable  impression  upon  Sixtus,  for 
he  entered  into  negotiations  concerning  the  sale 
of  the  costly  jewels  which  had  been  collected  by 
Pope  Paul  II.  In  the  end  Lorenzo  purchased 
the  cabinet  and  its  contents,  and  made  thereby  a 
very  excellent  bargain. 

During  his  sojourn  in  the  Eternal  City, 
Lorenzo  acquired  a  number  of  precious  antiques, 
rare  manuscripts,  and  valuable  works  of  art. 
Sixtus,  noting  his  artistic  tastes,  sent  him  many 
handsome  gifts,  and  promised,  at  his  solicitation, 
to  prevent  the  destruction  of  ancient  buildings  and 
monuments.  They  parted  apparently  excellent 
friends. 

Giuliano's  Giostra  was  even  more  brilliant 
than  that  of  Lorenzo,  six  years  before.  It  was 
celebrated  in  honour  of  "  La  bella  Simonetta," 
with  whom  the  impressionable  young  prince 
became  daily  more  and  more  madly  in  love. 
Whether  his  infatuation  went  at  all  beyond  the 
bounds  of  Platonic  affection  is  doubtful.  His 
lovely  innamorata  was  the  wife  of  his  best  friend, 
and  his  honour  went  for  much  in  the  loyal  estima- 
tion of  Giuliano.  Besides  this,  his  good  mother's 
influence  in  the  cause  of  virtue  and  modesty  was 
all-powerful  with  both  her  sons. 

Strange  to  say,  this  romantic  attachment 
15 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

stirred  the  jealousy  of  a  very  prominent  citizen, 
no  less  a  personage  than  Messer  Francesco  de' 
Pazzi.  He  and  his  brothers  declined  the  invita- 
tion to  the  Giostra,  and  abstained  from  participa- 
tion in  the  general  festivities.  It  was  a  case  of 
race  rivalry  and  of  personal  jealousy,  but  it  meant 
much  in  the  relations  of  the  two  families. 

The  efforts  which  Lorenzo  continually  made 
"to  gain  a  firm  footing  in  Florence"  —  as 
Francesco  de'  Guicciardini  has  recorded — quite 
naturally  were  productive  of  opposition  and 
animosity.  The  men  who  had  placed  him  in 
power  were  again  in  two  camps — those  who  were 
content  with  the  status  quo,  and  those  who  were 
not.  The  latter  made  less  and  less  effort  to 
conceal  their  real  sentiments,  and  at  length  set 
about  to  question  Lorenzo's  motives,  and  defeat 
his  projects.  He  was  a  beau-ideal  citizen,  for, 
with  all  his  love  of  show  and  circumstance,  even 
in  the  fulness  of  his  dignity  and  dominion,  he 
knew  how  to  retain  and  exhibit  certain  homely 
and  simple  traits,  which  were  quite  after  the 
Florentine  manner. 

He  met  criticisms  and  oppositions  with  the 
very  characteristic  statement :  "I  will,"  said  he, 
"allow  no  man  to  put  his  foot  on  my  throat!" 
This  threat — for  so  it  was  accounted  by  those  who 
wished  to  discredit  him — was  like  a  red  gauntlet 
thrown  down,  and,  later  on,  a  hand — if  not  a  foot 
— and  a  dagger,  were  at  Lorenzo's  throat ! 

The  overstrain  of  desire,  the  feverishness  of 
16 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

acquisitiveness,  and  the  lust  for  power,  often  in 
their  intensity  defeat  the  purpose  sought.  The 
personality  of  Lorenzo  waxed  greater  and  mightier 
day  by  day  in  the  nervously  articulated  constitu- 
tion of  Florence.  The  greatest  genius  of  his  age, 
he  was  not  only  the  master  of  the  Government, 
but  the  acknowledo^ed  chief  of  the  Platonic 
Academy,  the  first  of  living  poets,  a  most  dis- 
tinguished classical  scholar,  and  the  greatest 
benefactor  the  city  had  ever  known.  Everything 
was  within  his  grasp  and  everyone  had  to  bow  to 
his  will ;  his  aim  was  to  be  autocratic  Prince  of 
Tuscany. 

It  was  the  mark  of  a  "perfect  gentleman"  to 
unbend  to  plainer  folk,  and  to  mingle  with  them 
in  moments  of  relaxation.  As  a  youth  he  had, 
with  Giuliano,  frequented  the  village  fairs  in  the 
Mugello,  for  amusement  and  good  fellowship : 
indeed  they  brought  him  inspiration  and  popularity 
as  well.  When  in  residence  in  the  Medici  Palace 
he  was  wont  to  take  his  walks  abroad  quite  freely, 
and  to  sit  and  chat  with  the  habitues  of  the 
osterie  by  the  Porta  San  Gallo,  and  other  similar 
taverns. 

Florentine  of  the  Florentines,  he  loved  tricks 
and  jokes,  and  was  never  tired  of  making  fun  at 
the  expense  of  others  :  be  it  said,  too,  he  knew 
how  to  take  as  well  as  give.  An  amusing  story 
is  told  of  him  :  being  at  Pisa,  he  chanced  to  see 
among  the  students  of  the  University — which,  by 
the  way,   he  was   instrumental  in  re-establishing 

B  17 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

and  re-endowing — a  youth  who  squinted.  He 
remarked  with  a  laugh  :  "  That  lad  should  easily 
be  the  head  of  his  class !  "  When  questioned  as 
to  his  meaning,  he  replied  jocosely  :  "  Because  he 
will  read  at  the  same  time  both  pages  of  his  book, 
and  so  will  learn  double  !  " 

Entering  thus  unostentatiously  into  the  lives  and 
habits  of  his  fellow-citizens,  it  was  perfectly  natural 
that  he  should  gain  their  esteem,  friendship,  and 
loyal  support.  He  soon  became  out  and  away 
the  most  popular  man  in  Florence,  notwithstand- 
ing the  unworthy  sneer  of  that  ill-conditioned  and 
self  -  opinionated  monk,  Girolamo  Savonarola. 
"Lorenzo,"  he  muttered,  "occupies  the  people 
with  feasts  and  shows  in  order  that  they  may 
think  more  of  their  own  amusement  than  of  his 
ambitions." 

Lorenzo  was  under  no  delusion  with  respect 
to  the  permanence,  in  a  more  or  less  subjective 
degree,  of  the  spirit  of  revolt  which  had  rendered 
his  father's  succession  to  the  Headship  of  the 
Republic  difficult.  The  very  men  who  had,  for 
their  own  ends,  misguided  Piero,  of  course  were 
no  longer  powerful — such  at  least  of  them  as  were 
still  alive  were  in  banishment ;  but  their  sons  and 
their  adjoints  were  ready  enough  to  question  his 
authority. 

Swiftly  enough,  Lorenzo  took  the  measures  of 
these  men,  and  prepared  to  counteract  their 
opposition.  Naturally  he  sought  the  counsel  of 
Domina  Lucrezia,  than  whom  nobody  understood 


DOMINA   MAGNinCA   LUCREZIA   DE'   MEDICI. 

From  an  engraving  by  Francesco  Allegrini,  1761. 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

better  the  men  of  Florence,  their  manners  and 
their  moods.  Long  and  serious  were  the  delibera- 
tions of  mother  and  son.  With  her  pregnant 
assistance  he  roughed  out  a  scheme,  so  warily- 
conceived  and  so  faithfully  elaborated,  that,  on  its 
presentation  to  the  Lords  of  the  Signory,  it  was 
accepted  almost  unanimously. 

This  measure  touched  citizens  in  their 
tenderest  spot, — pride  and  love  of  display, — for  it 
proclaimed  the  appointment  of  the  leading  Signori 
as  ambassadors  to  foreign  courts  and  communes. 
The  one  great  absorbing  ambition  of  all  pro- 
minent Florentines  was,  through  all  their  history, 
to  head  a  foreign  mission,  with  all  its  honours  and 
emoluments. 

With  infinite  grace  and  persuasiveness  Lorenzo 
put  before  the  Council  the  advisability  of  the 
despatch  of  envoys,  incidentally  to  announce  his 
succession  to  the  Headship  of  the  State,  but 
principally  to  proclaim  the  grandeur,  the  wealth, 
and  the  power,  of  the  great  Tuscan  Republic.  It 
was  a  master-stroke  thus  to  appeal  to  the 
patriotism,  no  less  than  to  the  egotism,  of  their 
Excellencies,  and,  at  the  same  time,  to  confirm 
his  own  supremacy ! 

The  bait,  dangled  before  avaricious  eyes,  was 
eagerly  snapped  up,  and  when  Lorenzo  backed 
up  his  proposition  by  munificently  mounting  each 
embassy,  and  by  the  promise  of  knighthood  upon 
the  return  of  the  ambassadors,  scarcely  a  man  of 
those  nominated  held  back.     The  scheme  worked 

19 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

splendidly,  and  Lorenzo  had  the  supreme  satis- 
faction of  bidding  courteous  and  thankful  farewells 
to  his  most  prominent  rivals. 

Among  them  were  such  distinguished  leaders 
of  public  opinion  as  Bernardo  de'  Buongirolami, 
Cesare  de'  Petrucci,  Bernardo  del  Nero,  Agnolo 
de'  Niccolini,  and  Piero  Filippo  de'  Pandolfini. 
Their  departure  was  the  signal  for  the  advance- 
ment of  many  less  known  men, — friends  and 
proteges  of  the  two  brothers  or  of  Domina 
Lucrezia.  In  this  way  Lorenzo  greatly  streng- 
thened his  hold  upon  the  supreme  power. 

Two  very  prominent  men,  however,  rejected 
the  proposal — at  once  the  most  popular  and  most 
dangerous — Tommaso  de'  Soderini  and  Francesco 
de'  Pazzi. 

Tommaso  de'  Soderini  added  immensely  to 
his  popularity  by  his  noble  exhibition  of  self- 
abnegation.  His  prudence  and  ability  had  for 
long  pointed  him  out  as  the  most  trustworthy  and 
experienced  of  his  peers.  His  whole-hearted 
loyalty  to  the  cause  of  the  Medici,  and  the  con- 
sistency with  which  he  maintained  the  position  he 
had  taken  up,  at  the  plenary  Parliament  in  1469, 
and  subsequently,  made  him,  by  the  contrariety  of 
circumstances,  the  most  redoubtable  rival  of  the 
ambitious  and  impulsive  Capo  della  Repubblica. 

The  trusty  pilot,  who  had  so  effectively  steered 
the  ship  of  State  through  the  troubled  waters  of 
the  interregnum,  was,  quite  unintentionally  and 
unwillingly,  the  greatest  obstacle  in   the  way  of 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

the  young  captain !  Everybody  who  had  a 
grievance — real  or  imaginary — against  the  govern- 
ment of  Lorenzo,  sought  Messer  Tommaso's  advice 
and  sympathy,  so  that  the  situation  became  charged 
with  difficulties  and  embarrassments.  The  very 
merest  change  in  the  whim  of  a  fickle  people 
might  upset  the  Medici,  and  then  the  Soderini 
would  be  called  upon  to  fill  the  vacancy.  Messer 
Tommaso's  presence  in  Florence  was  both  a 
source  of  strength  to  Lorenzo  and  his  house, 
and  a  menace. 

When  the  subject  of  the  embassy  to  Rome — 
the  chief  diplomatic  appointment  of  the  Republic 
— was  broached,  Messer  Tommaso,  with  the  utmost 
sincerity,  expressed  his  fervent  wish  to  meet 
Lorenzo's  views  in  every  respect,  but  he  expressed, 
quite  emphatically,  his  disinclination  to  undertake 
such  an  arduous  duty.  Not  only  did  he  plead  the 
infirmities  of  age,  but  declared  that  his  wife, 
]\Iadonna  Dianora,  would  never  leave  Florence. 
Her  love  of  her  own  city  and  its  people  equalled 
that  of  her  sister,  the  Domina  Magnifica  Lucrezia 
— their  social,  charitable  and  literary  interests 
were  alike  and  equal. 

Here  was  a  condition  of  affairs  which  called 
for  the  exercise  of  the  greatest  tact  and  ingenuity, 
and  Lorenzo  committed  the  task  of  overcoming 
the  scruples  of  his  uncle  and  aunt  to  his  mother. 
Her  efforts  were  entirely  successful,  and  Lorenzo, 
with  a  deep  sigh  of  relief,  handed  Messer 
Tommaso  his  credentials,  and  personally  conducted 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

him  and  his  suite  to  the  Porta  Romano,  and  thence 
speeded  him  upon  his  journey. 

Francesco  de'  Pazzi  was  cast  in  a  very  different 
sort  of  mould — the  very  antithesis  in  character, 
demeanour,  and  aspiration  to  Tommaso  de' 
Soderini — he  has  very  appropriately  been  called 
"the  Cataline  of  Florence."  Possessed  of 
immense  wealth,  much  of  which  had  come  to  him 
from  his  father,  Messer  Antonio,  he  rapidly  dissi- 
pated it  by  selfish  extravagance  :  no  man  surpassed 
him  in  the  virtue  or  the  vice — which  you  will — 
of  self-seeking-. 

In  the  bitterness  of  an  overweening  and 
mortified  ambition  he  rejected,  with  the  utmost 
discourtesy,  Lorenzo's  overtures,  at  the  same  time 
remorselessly  exposing  his  intentions,  and  vowing 
that  no  Pazzo  should  "go  round  the  corner"  for 
a  Medico !  Messer  Francesco  displayed  un- 
reservedly the  true  character  of  his  family :  he 
was  in  truth  the  "Mirror  of  his  race" — '' L'im- 
placabile  Pazzu' 

The  descent  of  the  Pazzi  was  one  of  the  most 
ancient  among  the  noble  families  of  Tuscany. 
The  senior  branch  claimed  Greek  descent,  and  its 
members  were  early  denizens  of  the  hill-country 
about  Fiesole.  Leaders  of  men,  they  became 
adherents  of  the  aristocratic  party — the  Ghibellines 
— and  were  consistent  and  energetic  in  their 
allegiance  to  the  Emperor.  The  junior  branch  of 
the  Pazzi  were   dwellers  in  the  Vale  of  Arno — 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

men  of  peaceful  predilections  in  agriculture  and 
commerce,  throwing  in  their  lot  with  the  Guelphs 
— the  democratic  party  of  the  Pope. 

Giano  della  Bella's  '' Ordinamenti di  Giustizia,'' 
in  1293,  led  to  the  disqualification  of  the  Pazzi 
and  many  other  notable  families  from  the  exercise 
of  the  franchise,  and,  as  a  consequence,  they  were 
deprived  of  all  share  in  the  Government. 

They  recognised,  even  in  those  early  days  of 
the  formation  of  the  first  of  modern  states,  that 
the  Medici  were  rivals  and  opponents  not  only  in 
domestic  and  commercial  enterprise,  but  also  in 
political  advancement,  and  no  love  was  lost 
between  the  two  families.  Nevertheless,  the 
Pazzi  were  beholden  to  their  rivals  for  the 
restoration  of  their  civil  rights. 

On  the  return  of  Cosimo  de'  Medici  from 
exile  in  1434,  they  were  reinstated,  and  thence- 
forward maintained  their  position.  Messer 
Andrea,  next  after  Cosimo  the  most  influential 
citizen  of  Florence,  was  elected  to  the  Priorate  in 
1435,  and  in  1439  he  was  called  upon  to  entertain 
no  less  a  personage  than  King  Rend  of  France. 
In  1 44 1  he  was  Gonfaloniere  di  Giustizia. 

Messer  Andrea  left  three  sons  —  Piero, 
Giacopo  and  Antonio.  Piero  served  the  supreme 
office  of  Gonfaloniere  in  1462.  He  was  the 
father  of  a  numerous  family — some  historians  say 
he  had  nineteen  children  by  his  wife,  Madonna 
Fiammetta  de'  Guigni !  None  of  them,  however, 
made  their  mark  in  the  life  and  history  of  the  city, 

23 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

except  the  fourth  son,  Belforte  Renato,  who  was  a 
prominent  man  but  suffered  for  the  ill-doings  of 
his  relations. 

If  Piero  and  his  sons  were  unassuming  citizens, 
Messer  Andrea's  second  son,  Giacopo,  was  of  a 
very  different  disposition.  A  man  of  far  greater 
ability  and  more  vaulting  ambition  than  his 
brother,  he  was  looked  upon  as  the  head  of  the 
family.  In  appearance  he  was  prematurely  old 
and  withered  up,  with  a  pallid  face  and  palsied 
frame,  with  great  restless,  staring  eyes.  He  per- 
petually tossed  his  head  about  from  side  to  side, 
as  though  afflicted  with  St  Vitus'  dance.  Giacopo 
was  unmarried,  a  libertine,  notorious  as  a  gambler 
and  a  blasphemer,  a  spendthrift,  and  jealous — 
beyond  bounds — of  the  popularity  and  pre- 
eminence of  Piero  and  Lorenzo  de'  Medici.  He 
was  pointed  at  as  the  most  immoral  man  in 
Florence.  In  the  year  of  Lorenzo's  succession 
to  the  place  of  Capo  della  Repubblica,  he  obtained 
by  bribery  the  high  office  of  Gonfaloniere  di 
Giushzia  as  a  set-off,  but,  by  an  inconsistency  as 
unexpected  as  it  was  transparent,  he  accepted,  on 
vacating  office,  a  knighthood  at  the  hands  of  his 
rival. 

Cavaliere  Giacopo's  relations  with  Lorenzo 
were  fairly  cordial,  outwardly  at  least,  for  as  late 
as  1474,  when  at  Avignon,  he  wrote  several 
letters  to  him,  full  of  grateful  expressions  for 
favours  received  and  of  wishes  for  a  continuance 
of  a   good    understanding.      None    of   Cavaliere 

24 


The  Tragedies   of  the   Medici 

Giacopo's  illegitimate  children  arrived  at  maturity, 
and,  on  account  of  the  failure  of  his  elder  brother's 
sons  to  achieve  distinction,  the  proud  banner  of 
the  family  was  clutched  by  the  hands  of  the  four 
boys  of  the  youngest  of  Messer  Andrea's  sons — 
Guglielmo,  Antonio,  Giovanni,  and  Francesco. 
Their  mother  was  Cosa  degli  Alessandri,  a 
granddaughter  of  Alessandro  degli  Albizzi,  who 
first  adopted  the  new  surname. 

The  brothers  were  very  wealthy,  they  had 
amassed  large  fortunes  in  commerce,  and  their 
houses  extended  for  a  considerable  distance  along 
that  most  fashionable  of  streets — the  Borgro  deofli 
Albizzi.  The  Palazzo  de'  Pazzi  doubtless  was 
commenced  by  their  grandfather,  whose  emblem 
— a  ship — is  among  the  architectural  enrichments. 
The  building  was  finished  by  their  uncle,  Giacopo 
- — it  is  in  the  Via  del  Proconsolo. 

As  bankers,  the  Pazzi  were  noted  for  their 
enterprise  generally,  and  for  their  competition  with 
the  Medici  in  particular.  They  had  agencies  in 
all  the  chief  cities  of  Europe  and  the  East,  but 
their  reputation  for  avarice  and  sharp  dealing  was 
proverbial.  Perhaps  no  family  was  quite  so  un- 
popular in  Florence.  Their  traditions  were  aristo- 
cratic, whilst  the  Medici  were  champions  of  the 
people. 

This  distinction  was  referred  to  by  Madonna 
Alessandra  Macinghi  di  Matteo  degli  Strozzi,  in 
one  of  her  letters  to  her  son  Filippo,  at  Naples. 
"I    must  bid    you  remember,"  she  wrote,    "that 

25 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

those  who  are  upon  the  side  of  the  Medici  have 
always  done  well,  whilst  those  who  belong  to  the 
Pazzi,  the  contrary.  So  I  pray  you  be  on  your 
oruard." 

o 

The  growing  importance  of  the  Pazzi  gave 
Piero  and  Lucrezia  de'  Medici  much  uneasiness, 
and  it  is  quite  certain  that  the  marriage  of  their 
eldest  daughter,  Bianca — "  Piero's  tall  daughter" 
as  she  was  called — to  the  eldest  of  the  three 
brothers,  was  a  stroke  of  domestic  policy  by  way 
of  controlling  the  race  for  wealth  and  power. 

Lorenzo,  very  soon  after  his  accession  to  the 
Headship  of  the  State,  "  took  the  bull  by  the 
horns  "  and  excluded  the  Pazzi  from  participation 
in  public  office.  It  was  an  extreme  measure  and 
not  in  accordance  with  his  usual  tact  and  circum- 
spection, and  of  course  it  produced  the  greatest 
ill-will  and  resentment  against  him  and  his  adminis- 
tration in  every  member  of  the  proscribed  family. 

The  situation  became  greatly  embittered  when, 
in  1477,  Lorenzo  interfered  in  a  law-suit  which 
concerned  the  marriage  dower  and  inheritance  of 
Beatrice,  the  daughter  of  Giovanni  Buonromeo. 
By  Florentine  law  the  daughter  should  have 
inherited  the  fortune  without  demur,  under  the 
express  will  of  her  father,  who  died  intestate  ;  but, 
at  Lorenzo's  command,  the  estate  was  passed  on 
to  Beatrice's  cousin,  Carlo  Buonromeo,  who  was 
the  winner  of  the  second  prize  in  Lorenzo's 
Giostra  of  1468.  This  decision  was  in  direct 
opposition  to  Giuliano  de'  Medici's  opinion,  and 

26 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

he  did  all  he  could  to  reassure  Giovanni  de'  Pazzi, 
Guglielmo's  brother,  and  Beatrice's  husband,  of 
friendship  and  confidence. 

These  were  not  the  only  incidents  which 
followed  one  another  at  the  parting  of  the  ways 
of  the  two  families,  but  the  affair  of  Giovanni  and 
Beatrice  was  resented  with  peculiar  bitterness  by 
all  the  Pazzi.  "  Hence  arose,"  as  Francesco  de' 
Guicciardini  has  testified,  "  the  wrongfingf  of  the 
Pazzi ! " 

In  Francesco,  the  youngest  of  the  brethren, 
was  exhibited  the  most  violent  animosity  and 
hatred.  Blessed  with  superabundant  self-conceit, 
which  went  so  far  as  to  cause  him  to  spend  hours 
a  day  having  his  unusually  light-coloured  hair 
dressed  at  the  barber's  and  his  face  salved  and 
puffed  at  the  apothecary's  to  conceal  his  muddy 
complexion,  he  was  reckoned,  in  the  Mercato 
Nuovo,  as  little  better  than  an  ill-conditioned 
braggadoccio  !  His  shortness  of  stature  he  sought 
to  atone  for  by  his  accentuation  of  the  Florentine 
pout  and  the  Tuscan  strut — he  was  well  known, 
too,  for  his  contemptuous  jokes  at  the  expense  of 
others. 

Francesco  denounced  Lorenzo  and  his  Govern- 
ment with  unmeasured  scorn,  and,  careless  of 
restraint,  threatened  that  "he  would  be  even 
with  him,  even  though  it  cost  him  his  life." 
Macchiavelli  says  :  "He  was  the  most  unscrupu- 
lous of  his  family."      "A  man  of  blood,"  Agnolo 

Poliziano  called  him,   "who,  when  he  meditated 

27 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

any  design,  went  straight  to  his  goal,  regardless 
of  morality,  religion,  reputation  and  conse- 
quences." 

Early  in  March  he  quitted  Florence  suddenly, 
giving  out  that  his  presence  was  required  at  Rome 
in  connection  with  the  affairs  of  the  Pazzi  bank.  To 
say  that  his  departure  was  a  relief  to  Lorenzo  is 
but  half  the  truth,  for  he  was  greatly  perturbed 
with  respect  to  the  influence  which  such  a  passion- 
ate and  reckless  rival  would  have  upon  his  relations 
with  the  Holy  See.  Francesco  was  the  subject 
of  watchfulness  upon  the  part  of  the  Medici  agents 
in  Rome,  where  Giovanni  de'  Tornabuoni  set 
himself  to  thwart  any  hostile  movement  which 
might  be  made. 

Among  prominent  men  with  whom  Francesco 
de'  Pazzi  was  thrown  into  contact  were  Archbishop 
Francesco  de'  Salviati  and  Count  Girolamo  de' 
Riari,  The  Archbishop  and  Francesco  were  no 
strangers  to  one  another ;  their  families  had  risen 
to  affluence  and  power  side  by  side  in  Florence, 
actuated  by  like  sentiments  and  engaged  in  like 
activities — hatred  of  the  Medici  was  mutual. 

Sixtus  had  proposed,  in  1474,  to  bestow  upon 
Francesco  de'  Salviati  the  Archbishopric  of 
Florence,  but  the  Signoria,  instigated  by  Lorenzo, 
refused  to  confirm  his  appointment  and  declined 
to  grant  him  the  temporalities  of  the  See.  The 
Pope  yielded  very  ungraciously  to  the  repre- 
sentations of  the  Florentine  Government  and 
named    Rinaldo    d'Orsini,    Lorenzo's    brother-in- 

28 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

law,  to  the  vacancy.  This  intervention  was 
adduced  by  Sixtus  afterwards  as  insubordination 
worthy  of  punishment,  and  he  did  not  forget 
to  take  his  revenge. 

The  following  year  Francesco  de'  SalviatI  was 
chosen  as  Archbishop-designate  of  Pisa,  and 
again  the  Florentines  objected — being  joined  by 
the  Pisans,  who  conspired  to  prevent  him  taking 
possession.  The  Archbishop  was,  according  to 
Agnolo  Poliziano — the  devoted  historian  and  poet- 
laureate  of  Lorenzo  il  Maonifico — "  An  ig-norant 
man,  a  contemner  of  all  law — human  and  divine 
— a  man  steeped  in  crime,  and  a  disgrace  to  his 
family  and  the  whole  State." 

Count  Girolamo  de'  Riari,  accounted  a  nephew 
of  Sixtus,  was,  like  his  elder  brother  Piero  and 
Caterina  his  sister,  a  natural  child  of  the  Pope. 
The  three  were  treated  with  parental  affection  by 
the  pontiff,  and  had  their  home  in  his  private 
apartments,  being  waited  upon  by  their  unrecog- 
nised mother  in  the  ouise  of  nurse  and  cruardian. 

Piero  de'  Riari  was  created  a  Cardinal  when 
a  spoilt  boy,  and  became,  as  a  man,  infamous  for 
his  debauchery  and  villainy.  Sixtus  had  the 
effrontery  to  select  him  as  successor  to  Archbishop 
Orsini  in  Florence,  but  his  action  was  prompted 
by  a  motive,  which  was  firmly  fixed  in  his 
heart.  This  was  nothing  less  than  the  supplant- 
ing of  Lorenzo  de'  Medici  by  Piero  or  Girolamo ! 
So  far,  however,  as  Cardinal  de'  Riari  was  con- 
cerned,    Sixtus'    ambitions    were    wholly   disap- 

29 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

pointed    by   his    sudden    death,    due    to    violent 
excesses  of  all  kinds. 

Like  his  brother,  Count  Girolamo,  the  offspring 
of  illicit  lust,  and  brought  up  in  the  depraved 
atmosphere  of  the  Papal  court,  was  a  reprobate  ; 
but  Sixtus'  vaulting  ambition  stopped  not  at 
character  and  reputation.  He  was  bent  upon 
the  permanent  aggrandisement  of  all  the  branches 
of  the  Delle  Rovere  family.  Casting  about  for 
territorial  dignity,  the  Pope  set  his  heart  upon 
the  Lordship  of  Imola,  where  Taddeo  ^  Manfredi 
of  Faenza,  being  in  financial  difficulties,  had  sur- 
rendered the  fief  to  the  Duke  of  Milan. 

The  proposal  to  bestow  the  Lordship  upon 
Count  Girolamo  de'  Riari  by  purchase  was  warmly 
resented  by  the  Florentines.  Sixtus  approached 
the  question  in  a  most  underhand  and  suspicious 
manner.  He  knew  perfectly  well  that  negotiations 
were  on  foot  for  the  acquisition  of  the  property 
and  title  by  Lorenzo,  on  behalf  of  the  Florentine 
Government.  Nevertheless  he  sent  a  secret 
mission  to  Galeazzo  Sforza,  Duke  of  Milan,  offering 
the  handsome  sum  of  fifty  thousand  gold  ducats, 
with  a  proviso,  that  the  Duke  should  bestow  the 
hand  of  his  illegitimate  daughter  Caterina  upon 
Girolamo. 

By  way  of  adding  insult  to  injury,  Sixtus 
impudently  sought  a  loan  from  the  Medici  bank, 
with  which  to  pay  the  Duke  :  this  greatly  offended 
Lorenzo  and  all  the  leading  men  in  Florence. 
What  made  the  Pope's  conduct  more  despicable, 

30 


The  Tragedies   of  the  Medici 

was  the  knowledge  that  he  regarded  this  matter 
as  the  first  step  in  a  Hne  of  poHcy  which  aimed 
at  supersession  of  the  Medici  by  the  Riari  in  the 
direction  of  Tuscan  affairs — himself  being  Over- 
Lord. 

The  Pope's  demand  was  refused  indignantly 
by  Lorenzo,  who,  in  the  name  of  the  Signoria, 
administered  to  his  Holiness  a  severe  rebuke  for 
his  interference  in  the  affairs  of  Florence.  The 
relations  between  the  two  Governments  became 
strained,  but  Sixtus  was  perfectly  indifferent  to 
opposition  where  personal  interests  were  con- 
cerned. 

His  next  move  was  the  withdrawal  of  the 
Duke  of  Urbino,  his  relative,  from  the  military 
service  of  the  Republic,  and  his  appointment  as 
Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Papal  forces.  This 
manoeuvre  was  regarded  with  alarm  by  all  the 
Italian  States,  and  a  league  was  formed  by 
Florence,  Venice,  and  Milan,  to  check  Papal 
encroachments. 

Sixtus  made  overtures  to  the  Duke  of  Milan  to 
detach  him  from  the  alliance,  but,  apparently,  they 
failed  of  their  object.  The  Duke  was  friendly 
with  Lorenzo  and  had  no  wish  to  become  em- 
broiled with  Florence. 

All  these  plots  and  counterplots  were  exactly 
to  the  liking  of  Francesco  de'  Pazzi,  and  he  laid 
himself  out  to  make  capital  out  of  them.  Not 
only  did  he  encourage  the  Pope  in  his  inimical 
policy,  but  he  placed  at  his  command  the  sum  of 

31 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

money  which  had  been  refused  by  the  Medici 
bank.  Sixtus  was  delighted  with  his  new  and 
weahhy  adherent,  and  forthwith  gave  the  presi- 
dents of  the  Medici  bank  in  Rome  notice  that  they 
no  longer  retained  his  confidence  as  Papal  bankers, 
and  that,  accordingly,  he  had  transferred  the 
accounts  of  the  Curia  to  the  care  of  the  rival 
Pazzi  house.  Upon  Francesco  de'  Pazzi  he 
conferred  the  accolade  of  knighthood.  This 
hostile  action  of  course  further  estrano-ed  Lorenzo 
and  the  Government  of  Florence,  and,  quite 
naturally,  a  system  of  quarrelsome  incidents  was 
set  up,  with  a  very  complete  equipment  of  spies. 

Sixtus  never  concealed  his  desire  for  the  over- 
throw of  Lorenzo  and  the  subversion  of  the 
Florentine  Government,  and  his  hostility  found 
a  whole-hearted  response  in  the  persons  of  Count 
Girolamo  de'  Riari,  Archbishop  Francesco  de' 
Salviati,  and  Cavaliere  Francesco  de'  Pazzi. 
The  Pope  exulted  openly  in  what  capital  he  could 
make  out  of  tales  and  gossip  about  Lorenzo 
and  his  entourage.  Two  prominent  Florentines 
fomented  this  factious  spirit,  Giovanni  Neroni — 
the  Archbishop  of  Florence  in  succession  to 
Archbishop  d'Orsini,  brother  of  the  notorious 
Diotisalvi,  who  was  banished  in  1466  —  and 
Agnolo  Acciaiuolo — also  banished  the  same  year, 
who  resided  in  Rome  and  was  an  especial 
favourite  at  the  Vatican. 

Charges  of  opposition  to  the  policy  of  the 
Pope  were  freely  thrown  in  the  teeth  of  Lorenzo, 

32 


LORENZO    DE'    MEDICI-II  Magnifies 

Angelo  Bronzino. 

UIFI/I    GALLEKV,    ILuRIiNCK. 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

and  some  of  them  were  true,  for  the  actions  of  the 
Pope  led  all  observant  men  to  the  conclusion 
that  he  proposed  to  assume  the  role  of  arbiter  in 
the  affairs  of  all  the  Italian  States.  On  the  other 
hand,  Lorenzo's  policy  was  peaceful,  his  aim  being 
the  consolidation  of  Medicean  domination  in  the 
affairs  of  the  Republic. 

Causes  such  as  these  brought  about  the  initi- 
ation of  the  dastardly  plot  known  in  history  as 
"The  Pazzi  Conspiracy."  The  name  is  some- 
what open  to  criticism,  for,  although  the  Pazzi 
were  the  chief  instruments  employed,  and  exceeded 
all  others  in  detestation  of  the  Medici,  the  "  fore- 
front and  head  of  the  offendino" "  was  no  less  a 

o 

personage  than  Pope  Sixtus  IV. 

"  His  Holiness  hates  Lorenzo,"  said  Count 
Girolamo  de'  Riari ;  this  was  the  cue  to  all  that 
followed.  Doubtless  the  Pope  was  much  in  the 
power  of  sycophants  and  adventurers — all  immoral 
rulers  are.  Each  knew  his  man  and  held  him  in 
the  palm  of  his  left  hand ;  and  none  were  back- 
ward in  impressing  this  knowledge  upon  him. 

"We  can  always  make  our  lord  the  Pope 
do  as  we  please,"  was  Archbishop  Salviati's 
very  apposite  declaration !  It  was  re-echoed  by 
Francesco  de'  Pazzi,  who  added  significantly,  "  and 
we  mean  to  rid  Florence  of  the  Medici." 

All  through  the  year  1477  the  three  arch-con- 
spirators were   elaborating  their   plan   of  action. 
Possibly  Sixtus — and  we  may  give  the  miscreant 
c  33 


The  Tragedies   of  the  Medici 

the  favour  of  the  doubt — at  first  merely  wished  to 
upset  the  Government  of  Florence  and  banish 
Lorenzo  and  Giuliano  by  direct  means.  When, 
however,  it  was  borne  in  upon  him  that  the 
immense  popularity  of  the  Medici  would,  in  the 
event  of  their  supersession,  only  lead  to  their 
triumphant  recall,  he  agreed  that  there  was 
nothinof  for  it  but  the  removal  of  the  two  brothers 
in  a  more  summary  manner. 

This  association  of  Giuliano  with  Lorenzo  was 
a  miserable  exhibition  of  personal  spite.  He  had 
refused  him  the  Cardinalate  simply  because  he 
foresaw  the  succession  of  a  Medici  to  the  Papal 
throne,  whilst  he  purposed  handing  over  the 
triple  tiara  to  his  son,  Cardinal  Piero  de'  Riari. 
Nevertheless,  there  was  some  idea  in  the  mind  of 
Sixtus,  which  he  conveyed  to  his  fellow-conspira- 
tors, of  making  an  agreement  with  Giuliano,  that 
if  he  would  condone  the  exile  of  his  brother,  then 
his  should  be  the  reversion  of  the  Popedom  after 
Cardinal  de'  Riari ! 

Some  authorities  say  Giuliano  lent  a  not 
unwillino-  ear  to  those  overtures,  but  a  saner  view 
is  that  expressed  by  Agnolo  Poliziano  in  an 
epigram : — 

"Lorenzo — Giuliano — one  spirit,  love,  and  aim 
Animate  you  both — this,  truly,  I,  your  friend,  proclaim." 

Giuliano's  love  for  Lorenzo  was,  like  that  of 
David  and  Jonathan,  "a  love  surpassing  that  of 
women."       He    consistently    submitted    his    own 

34 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

ambitions  to  the  exaltation  of  his  brother's 
magnificence. 

The  cogitations  of  the  leaders  of  the  con- 
spiracy  were  disturbed  by  the  fact  that,  however 
excellent  their  schemes  might  be,  there  was 
absolute  necessity  for  the  co-operation  of  other 
intiuences.  Rome  unaided  could  not  cope  with 
Florence,  backed  as  she  was  by  France,  Venice, 
Milan,  Ferrara,  and  Mantua.  Sixtus  consequently 
broached  the  subject  of  the  suppression  of  the 
Medici  to  the  King  of  Naples  and  to  the  Duke 
of  Urbino — the  support  of  Siena  was  always 
assured  in  any  attack  on  her  great  rival. 

The  king  had  a  personal  quarrel  with  Lorenzo, 
because  he  had  married  Clarice  d'Orsini  in  pre- 
ference to  his  daughter,  whose  hand  he  had,  in 
a  way,  offered  to  the  young  prince.  He  at  once 
acceded  to  the  Pope's  invitation,  and,  as  good  as 
his  word,  he  despatched  his  son,  the  Duke  of 
Calabria,  at  the  head  of  an  armed  force,  pro- 
fessedly to  demand  prompt  payment  by  the  Re- 
public of  arrears  due  to  him  for  service  rendered 
to  Florence. 

At  the  solicitation  of  Sixtus  these  troops  were 
retained  in  Tuscany  on  the  pretext  that  the  Papal 
fief  of  Imola  required  protection.  Of  course  the 
real  purpose  was  a  menace  to  Lorenzo  :  the  force 
being  at  hand  to  strike  a  swift  blow  when  necessary. 

Duke  Federigo  of  Urbino  was  made  more  or 
less  conversant  with  the  Papal  policy,  and  with 
the  special  question  of  Lorenzo's   removal.     He 

35 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

at  once  rejected  the  proposition  that  resort  should 
be  had  to  violent  or  secret  measures,  and  in  dis- 
gust at  Sixtus's  conduct,  he  threw  up  his  appoint- 
ment as  Commander  of  the  Papal  forces. 

Whilst  Sixtus  was  making  all  these  military- 
preparations  for  the  furtherance  of  his  intentions, 
his  co-conspirators  removed  the  scene  of  their 
activities  to  the  neighbourhood  of  Florence,  where 
the  Pazzi  and  Salviati  were  at  one  in  their  readi- 
ness to  lay  down  their  lives  for  the  undoing  of 
the  Medici.  They  first  of  all  took  into  their  con- 
fidence one  of  the  Papal  Condottieri,  a  man  of 
undoubted  courage  and  ability — Giovanni  Battista 
da  Montesicco,  a  native  of  the  Roman  Campagna 
— who  was  under  heavy  obligation  to  Count 
Girolamo  de'  Riari.  Of  course  he  was  perfectly 
willing,  as  became  his  calling,  to  sell  his  sword 
for  good  payment :  he  further  undertook  to  enlist 
his  lieutenant,  Hieronimo  Comiti,  in  the  cause. 

The  Condottiere  was  sent  off  to  Florence  to 
communicate  to  Cavaliere  Giacopo  de'  Pazzi  the 
"idea"  of  the  three  chief  plotters,  to  test  his  feel- 
ings, and,  if  possible,  secure  his  adherence.  At 
first  the  old  man  was  "as  cold  as  ice" — so  Mon- 
tesicco said  in  his  confession  later  on — and 
declined  to  take  any  part  in  the  conspiracy.  After 
hearing  all  that  was  put  before  him,  he  enquired 
whether  Sixtus  approved  the  scheme. 

"Why,  his  Holiness,"  replied  the  Condottiere, 
"has  sent  me  straight  to  your  Honour  to  ask 
your  support.  ...   I  speak  for  the  Pope." 

36 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

"Then,"  said  Giacopo,  "  I  am  with  you." 

A  few  days  later  Archbishop  Salviati  and 
Francesco  de'  Pazzi  joined  Montesicco  at 
Giacopo's  country  villa,  at  Montughi,  just  beyond 
the  Porta  Rosso,  on  the  high  road  to  Bologna. 
Consultations  between  the  heads  of  the  two 
families,  Pazzi  and  Salviati — were  held  there,  with 
the  concurrence  of  a  certain  number  of  influential 
citizens  inimical  to  the  Medici. 

These  meetings  were  given  out  as  hunting- 
parties  and,  to  blind  their  eyes,  overtures  were 
made  to  both  Lorenzo  and  Giuliano  to  honour  the 
sport  with  their  presence.  Needless  to  say, 
Francesco  de'  Pazzi's  return  to  Florence,  in  com- 
pany with  the  unfriendly  Archbishop,  aroused 
Lorenzo's  suspicions,  but  he  does  not  appear  to 
have  taken  any  action. 

Montesicco  was  instructed  to  make  himself  and 
his  lieutenant  familiar  with  the  stage  upon  which 
he  was  destined  to  play  his  part  of  the  plot,  and 
especially  to  observe  the  persons  and  the  habits 
of  the  two  Medici  princes.  Furthermore,  he  was 
directed  to  seek  a  personal  interview  with  Lorenzo, 
on  the  pretence  of  submitting  suggestions,  pro- 
pounded by  Count  Girolamo,  with  respect  to  the 
acquisition  of  some  poderi  near  Faenza. 

Lorenzo  received  his  visitor  with  his  usual 
courtesy  and  hospitality,  and,  whilst  he  wondered 
why  Riario  should  depute  such  a  redoubtable 
warrior  to  deal  with  peaceful  matters,  he  never 
dreamt  that  foul  play  was  intended.     Montesicco 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

was  greatly  impressed  by  the  Magnifico's  in- 
genuousness and  nobility  of  character,  and  still 
more  by  the  evident  esteem  and  affection  in  which 
he  was  held  by  all  classes  of  the  population.  He 
earnestly  reconsidered  the  bargain  he  had  made : 
"  I  resolved,"  he  said  in  his  confession,  "that  my 
sword  should  not  slay  that  just  man." 

The  counsels  at  Montughi  were  divergent  and 
acrimonious.  At  length  a  resolution  was  agreed 
to,  as  offering  a  suitable  and  secure  locality  for 
the  perpetration  of  the  deed  in  contemplation, 
namely,  to  invite  Lorenzo  to  Rome  in  the  name 
of  Sixtus.  Such  a  step  would  be  regarded  as  a 
proof  that  the  Pope  no  longer  opposed  Lorenzo's 
ofovernment,  but  that  a  modus  vivendi  had  been 
reached,  agreeable  to  all  parties.  Giuliano  was 
to  be  included  in  the  invitation  as  well.  Of  course 
the  hope  was  entertained  that  a  favourable  oppor- 
tunity would  be  afforded,  during  the  Papal  hospita- 
lities, for  the  murder  of  the  two  brothers. 

The  Archbishop  took  the  lead  in  all  these 
deliberations — he  and  Giacopo  de'  Pazzi  were 
boon  companions.  "  They  made  no  profession 
of  any  virtue,"  wrote  Ser  Varillas,  in  his  Secret 
History  of  the  Medici,  "  either  moral  or  Christian  ; 
they  played  perpetually  at  dice,  swore  con- 
foundedly, and  showed  no  respect  for  religion." 

Confident  in  the  general  support  of  all  the 
members  of  his  family,  in  any  demonstration 
against  the  hated  Medici,  he  took  into  his  personal 
confidence    his   brother,    Giacopo   de'    Salviati — 

38 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

**  an  obscure,  sordid  man " — and  his  nephew, 
Giacopo — "a  wastrel  and  a  fanatical  anti- 
Medicean." 

Among  the  trustworthy  Florentine  confeder- 
ates the  Archbishop  enrolled  Giacopo,  son  of 
the  famous  scholar,  Poggio  Gucchio  de'  Bracciolini, 
originally  a  protege  of  Lorenzo,  but  "dis- 
missed his  service  for  insolence  and  rapacity "  ; 
Giovanni  Perugino,  of  San  Gimignano,  a  physi- 
cian attached  to  Cavaliere  Giacopo's  household  ; 
Giovanni  Domenico,  a  bridle-maker  and  athlete, 
but  "an  idle  sort  of  fellow"  ;  and  Napoleone  de' 
Franzesi,  a  friend  of  Guglielmo  de'  Pazzi, 
Lorenzo's  brother-in-law.  Another  adherent  was 
Messer  Giovanni  da  Pisa,  a  notary,  but  "  a  factious 
and  bad  man," 

Before  leaving  Rome,  Francesco  de'  Pazzi  and 
the  Archbishop  had  agreed  with  Count  Girolamo 
de'  Riari  to  engage  the  services  of  two  desperadoes 
in  the  pay  of  the  Pope — Bernardo  Bandino  of  the 
Florentine  family  of  Baroncelli,  "a  reckless  and 
a  brutal  man  and  a  bankrupt  to  boot,"  and 
Amerigo  de'  Corsi,  "  the  renegade  son  of  a 
worthy  father," — Messer  Bernardo  de'  Corsi  of 
the  ancient  Florentine  house  of  that  ilk.  Two  ill- 
living  priests  were  also  added  to  the  roll  of  the 
conspirators — Frate  Antonio,  son  of  Gherardo 
de'  Maffei  of  Volterra,  and  Frate  Stefano,  son  of 
Niccolo  Piovano  da  Bagnore.  The  former  was 
exasperated  against  Lorenzo  for  the  reckless  sack 
of  Volterra,  and  because  he  had  taken  possession 

39 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

of  a  valuable  alum-pit  belonging  to  his  family. 
The  latter  was  Vicario  of  Monte  Murlo,  an 
upstart  Papal  precis-writer,  whose  family  was 
plebeian  and  employed  upon  Pazzi  property  in  that 
locality  ;  he  was  "a  man  steeped  in  crime  and  a 
creature  of  Cavaliere  Giacopo  de'  Pazzi." 

So  many  having  been  admitted  into  the  secret 
of  the  conspiracy,  it  became  a  matter  of  urgent 
importance  that  no  delay  should  arise  in  the  fulfil- 
ment of  the  design  ;  the  fear  of  espionage  and 
leakage  was  ever  present  to  the  minds  of  the 
leaders.  But  what  to  do,  and  where,  and  how, 
baffled  all  their  ingenuity.  At  last  a  lead  came, 
quite  unexpectedly  from  Sixtus  himself. 

At  Pisa  was  a  youth,  studying  law  and  phil- 
osophy— Raffaelle  Sansoni — the  son  of  Count 
Girolamo's  only  sister,  just  sixteen  years  of  age, 
and  "very  tender  in  the  heart  of  the  Pope." 
Early  in  1478  Sixtus  had  preconised  him 
Cardinal  of  San  Giorgio,  and  added  the  honour 
of  Legate  for  Archbishop  Salviati's  induction 
to  that  See — the  richest,  by  the  way,  in  all 
Italy. 

The  boy  Cardinal,  in  April,  was  directed,  by 
Sixtus,  to  make  a  progress  to  Imola  on  a  visit  to 
his  uncle  and  aunt,  and  to  take  Florence  on  his 
way,  for  the  purpose  of  paying  his  respects  to 
Lorenzo.  There  was,  of  course,  much  more  in 
this  apparently  innocent  proceeding  than  appeared 
at  first  view.  Francesco  de'  Pazzi  at  once 
obtained  Cavaliere  Giacopo's  permission  to  offer 

40 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

the  hospitality  of  his  villa  to  his  youthful  emi- 
nence and  his  suite. 

Montesicco  was  ordered  to  furnish  an  escort 
of  cavalry  in  the  name  of  the  Pope — "men  who 
were  perfectly  trustworthy  and  prepared  to  carry 
out  whatever  commands  they  received." 

After  the  cavalcade  had  set  forth,  Francesco 
sent  a  messaore  to  Lorenzo  de'  Medici,  sua-grestino- 
that  it  might  be  agreeable  to  all  parties  if  he  could 
see  his  way  to  entertain  the  Cardinal.  Both  he 
and  the  Archbishop,  who  was  in  the  company  of 
the  Cardinal,  knew  very  well  that  the  proposition 
would  be  cordially  entertained  by  the  hospitable 
Magnifico. 

As  they  had  anticipated,  no  sooner  had  the 
news  reached  Florence  that  the  distino-uished 
visitors  were  approaching  the  city,  than  a  dignified 
deputation  of  Signori  set  out  to  meet  them,  con- 
veying a  courteous  invitation  to  be  Lorenzo's 
guests  at  Fiesole. 

A  splendid  reception  was  followed  by  a  noble 
entertainment,  whereat  all  the  more  notable 
dignitaries  of  the  city  and  the  principal  members 
of  the  Platonic  Academy  assisted.  Among  the 
guests  of  honour  were  Archbishop  Francesco  de' 
Salviati,  with  the  Ambassadors  —  Giovanni 
Morino,  representing  Ferrante,  King  of  Naples  ; 
Filippo  Sagramoro,  the  Duke  of  Milan ;  and 
Ercole  di  Bendio,  the  Duke  of  Ferrara.  In 
special  attendance  upon  Lorenzo,  and  of 
ambassadorial   rank,  were    the    Cavalieri  Agnolo 

41 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

della  Stufa,  Luigi  de'  Guicciardini,  Bernardo  de' 
Buongirolami,  and  Buongiano  de'  Gianfigliazzi, 
and  others. 

The  conspirators  were  in  a  state  of  the  highest 
expectation  that  Montesicco  and  his  Heutenant 
would  have  no  difficulty  in  finding  opportunities 
to  effect  their  dastardly  purpose  during  the 
festivities.  They  were  doomed  to  disappoint- 
ment, for  at  the  last  moment,  and  when  the 
banquet  was  in  progress,  it  was  remarked  that 
Giuliano  was  absent — he  was  indisposed  and 
unable  to  attend  the  function  ! 

The  Sunday  following,  26th  April,  happened 
to  be  the  name-day  of  the  Cardinal,  and  he 
expressed  a  wish  to  hear  High  Mass  in  Santa 
Maria  del  Fiore.  Lorenzo  announced  his  inten- 
tion of  personally  conducting  his  eminence  to  the 
Duomo,  and  requested  him  to  honour  the  Domina 
Clarice  and  himself  by  attending  a  State  dinner 
at  the  Medici  Palace,  in  the  Via  Larga,  at  the 
conclusion  of  the  ceremony. 

This  was  much  to  the  mind  of  the  confeder- 
ates, for,  surely,  there  would  be  a  favourable 
opportunity  for  the  execution  of  the  plot.  In 
secret  session  it  was  arranged  that,  at  the  moment 
of  the  Elevation  of  the  Host,  Giovanni  Battista 
da'  Montesicco  should  stab  Lorenzo,  whilst 
Francesco  de'  Pazzi  and  Bernardo  Bandino 
should  fall  upon  Giuliano. 

The  Condottiere,  however,   firmly  refused   to 
42 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

commit  the  double  crime  of  sacrilege  and  murder, 
and,  point-blank,  declined  all  further  share  in  the 
conspiracy.  Here  was  an  entirely  unlooked-for 
situation,  and  an  alternative  plan  was  not  easy  to 
arrange.  Francesco  de'  Pazzi  seemed  inclined  to 
step  into  the  breach,  but  detestation  of  Lorenzo 
checked  his  ardour — he  would  not  soil  his  hands 
with  the  blood  of  such  a  contemptible  tyrant,  a 
menial  should  administer  the  blow !  There  was 
no  lack  of  volunteers  ready  to  take  Montesicco's 
place,  but  excessive  caution  WaS  requisite  that  no 
prominent  Florentine  conspirator  should  be  chosen, 
lest  suspicion  should  be  aroused. 

Finally  the  two  clerical  members  of  the  con- 
spiracy, Frati  Antonio  and  Stefano,  were  entrusted 
with  the  grim  duty.  The  appointment  was  quite  the 
best  that  could  be  made,  because,  at  the  Cathedral, 
Lorenzo  and  his  immediate  entourage  would  be 
placed  with  the  clergy,  within  the  choir,  whereas 
to  the  Pazzi  and  the  other  confederates  places 
would  be  assigned  outside  the  screen,  among  the 
unofficial  congregation. 

Everything  was  in  order,  the  great  bell  of  the 
Duomo  was  sounding  its  invitation,  and  the  sacred 
building  was  packed  with  worshippers  and  spec- 
tators. In  full  state  Lorenzo,  accompanied  by 
Domina  Clarice  and  their  Court,  led  Cardinal 
Sansoni  to  his  chair  of  estate  by  the  high 
altar. 

If,  as  he  himself  affirmed,  Lorenzo  was  de- 
prived of  the  pleasure  of  smell,  he  had  compensa- 

43 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

tion  in  the  greater  acuteness  of  the  other  four 
senses,  and  it  must  have  struck  his  keen  eyes,  as 
he  passed  to  his  place,  that  there  seemed  to  be  an 
unusually  large  muster  of  adherents  of  the  Pazzi  and 
Salviati.  Probably  he  reflected  that  they  were 
there  armed  in  honour  of  the  Cardinal,  who  was 
the  guest  of  Cavaliere  Giacopo  and  under  the 
guidance  of  Archbishop  Francesco,  as  deputy  of 
his  Holiness  the  Pope. 

In  the  vast  congregation  everybody  of  import- 
ance in  Florence  was  assembled,  with  two  notable 
exceptions — the  mother  and  the  only  brother  of 
Lorenzo  il  Magnifico.  The  Domina  Lucrezia, 
who  had  suddenly  retired  from  the  prominent 
position  she  held  at  the  Court  of  her  son,  remained 
at  Careggi  with  the  venerable  Madonna  Con- 
tessina,  Cosimo's  widow,  upon  whom  she  waited 
with  the  utmost  devotion. 

The  other  absentee  was,  once  more,  Giuliano ! 
Consternation  seized  upon  the  conspirators,  for 
the  slaughter  would  not  be  complete  without  the 
shedding  of  his  blood. 

The  preliminary  anthems  were  being  sung  as 
the  procession  of  the  celebrant  of  the  Mass,  with 
his  sacred  ministers  moved  from  the  New 
Sacristy,  and  every  head  was  bowed  before  the 
symbol  of  the  cross.  Hesitation  on  the  part  of 
the  confederates  meant  ruin,  and,  perhaps,  death  : 
this  no  one  knew  better  than  Francesco  de'  Pazzi. 
Beckoning  to  Bernardo  Bandino,  he  led  the  way 
to  the  north  door  of  the  Cathedral,  and  hurried 

44 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

off  with   him    to   the   Medici    Palace,    not  many 
yards  away. 

Asking  to  see  the  Lord  Giuliano,  the  porter  led 
them  into  the  courtyard,  and  presently  the  groom 
of  the  chamber  conducted  them  into  the  young 
prince's  apartment.  Giuliano  was  nearly  dressed, 
and  his  valet  was  giving  some  final  touches  to 
his  abundant  brown  hair  and  to  his  robes. 

"  Hasten,  my  lord,  the  Mass  is  in  saying,  or 
you  will  be  too  late,"  exclaimed  Francesco,  "we 
have  come  to  conduct  you  to  the  Duomo." 
Giuliano  was  in  a  gleeful  mood,  and  joked  his 
visitors  upon  their  unexpected  attentions.  At 
length  he  cried  out :  "  Lead  on,  Pazzo — Medico 
will  follow ! " 

Taking  him  in  his  humour,  Francesco  slipped 
his  arm  round  Giuliano's  waist — apparently  as  a 
mark  of  good-fellowship,  but  really  for  the  purpose 
of  feeling  whether  he  was  wearing  armour  under 
his  blue  velvet  tunic.  With  Bandino  on  the  other 
side,  the  three  made  the  rest  of  their  way  through 
the  dense  crowd  in  the  Via  Larga,  being  greeted 
respectfully  by  old  and  young,  though  many 
wondered  at  "//  bel  Giulid s''  unwonted  com- 
panions. 

Entering  the  Duomo,  the  three  stood  a 
moment  whilst  a  clear  course  was  made  for 
Giuliano  to  the  centre  of  the  congfreeation. 
Lorenzo  and  the  clergy  and  dignitaries  within 
the  choir  were  already  upon  their  knees,  ready  to 
prostrate  themselves  as  the  celebrant  held  aloft 

45 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

the  Sacred  Host.  Near  Lorenzo  were  Giovanni 
de'  Tornabuoni,  his  uncle, — famous  for  his  wealth, 
influence  at  Rome,  and  his  probity, — Antonio  and 
Lorenzo  de'  Cavalcanti,  Lorenzo  de'  Tornabuoni, 
Marco  de'  Vespucci,  and  Filippo  degli  Strozzi, 
Chamberlains  of  Honour,  and  other  distinguished 
Florentines,  and  the  foreign  ambassadors. 

No  sooner  had  Giuliano  reached  the  entrance 
to  the  choir  and  was  about  to  genuflect,  than 
Francesco  de'  Pazzi,  who  had  followed  him 
closely,  whipped  out  his  sword,  at  the  very 
moment  of  the  Elevation,  and  ran  the  devout 
prince  through  the  back !  At  the  same  time 
Bandino  leaped  upon  him  and  stabbed  him 
repeatedly  in  the  breast ! 

It  was  all  the  work  of  an  instant,  and  Giuliano 
fell  over  upon  his  side,  his  crimson  life's  blood 
ebbing  swiftly  out  of  nineteen  gaping  wounds  and 
dyeing  his  scarlet  robe  deep  purple.  Francesco's 
frenzy  was  diabolical,  for  he  leaped  upon  the  still 
quivering  body  of  his  victim,  and  stabbed  him 
aorain  and  ag-ain — woundino-  his  own  thio^h  in  his 
fury! 

Bandino  next  attacked  Francesco  Nori,  a 
chief  agent  or  manager  of  the  Medici  bank,  a 
man  of  renown  and  honour,  who  vainly  threw 
himself  forward  to  shield  his  unhappy  young 
patron,  and  he  cut  him  down  to  the  ground. 
With  a  filthy  execration,  he  raised  the  dripping 
weapon  in  the  air,  prepared  for  yet  another  victim. 

Meanwhile  the  two  perjured  priests,  who,  by 
46 


GIULIANO    DE'    MEDICI    II  Pensieroso. 
Angelo  Bronzino. 

Ub'FI/I    GALLERY,    FLORENCE. 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

the  mock  grace  of  their  Order  were  placed  within 
the  choir,  had  taken  up  positions  immediately 
behind  Lorenzo,  as  though  to  render  him  assist- 
ance in  the  divine  service,  suddenly  attacked 
him  with  daggers,  but  unskilfully.  Lorenzo 
scrambled  to  his  feet,  and,  casting  his  heavy 
mantle  of  State  over  his  shoulders,  drew  his 
sword  in  self-defence.  Turning  to  see  who  his 
opponents  were,  he  received  a  scratch  in  the  neck 
from  Stefano's  steel.  Then,  from  the  raised  dais, 
he  descried  the  tumult  at  the  choir  gates,  whilst 
cries  of  "  //  Giuliano  e  morto  "  reached  his  ears ! 

Desperadoes  were  struggling  with  the  clergy 
and  the  acolytes  by  the  great  lectern,  and  call- 
ing out  his  name  for  vengeance.  One,  more 
murderous  than  the  rest,  was  scaling  the  low 
sanctuary  wall,  holding  his  gory  dagger  in  the 
air,  and  making  for  the  chairs  of  estate — it  was 
Bernardo  Bandino.  Commendingf  the  Domina 
Clarice  to  the  care  of  his  uncle,  Lorenzo  passed 
hurriedly  up  the  steps  of  the  altar  and  gained 
the  New  Sacristy,  followed  closely  by  the  two 
Cavalcanti,  who  were  battling  with  the  infuriated 
Bandino  and  his  confederates — '' Abbasso  il 
Lorenzo''  they  yelled. 

Escaping  through  the  doorway,  Luca  della 
Robbia's  great  bronze  gates  were  slammed  to, 
by  Angelo  Poliziano,  almost  crushing  Antonio 
Cavalcanti,  who  fell  with  a  deep  wound  in  his 
shoulder,  and  actually  flinging  to  the  ground, 
outside  in  the  aisle,  the  raging,  baffled  Bandino. 

47 


The   Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

"Then  arose,"  wrote  Filippo  Strozzi,  in  his 
family  Ricordi — he  was  an  eye-witness  of  the 
tragedy — "a  great  tumult  in  the  church.  Messer 
Bongiano  and  other  knights,  with  whom  I  was 
conversing,  were  stupefied,  one  fled  hither  and 
another  thither,  loud  shouts  filled  the  building, 
and  the  hands  of  friends  of  the  Pazzi  and  Salviati 
all  held  gleaming  weapons.  .  .  .  The  young 
Cardinal  remained  alone,  crouching  by  the  high 
altar,  until  he  was  led  away  by  some  priests 
into  the  Old  Sacristy,  whence  he  was  escorted  by 
two  of  the  *  Eight,'  with  a  strong  bodyguard,  to 
the  Palazzo  del  Podesta." 

Inside  the  New  Sacristy  it  was  discovered 
that  Lorenzo's  wound  was  serious  enough  to  call 
for  immediate  treatment,  and  one  of  his  devoted 
pages,  young  Antonio  de'  Ridolfi,  sucked  it  for 
fear  of  poison.  The  great  heavy  metal  doors 
were  incessantly  battered  from  without,  but  no 
one  dared  to  open  them,  and  Lorenzo  remained 
where  he  was  until  the  hubbub  in  the  Duomo 
appeared  to  be  abating.  Then  another  page, 
Sismondo  della  Stufa,  climbed  up  into  the  organ 
gallery,  whence  he  could  look  into  the  church, 
and  reported  that  none  but  friends  of  the  Medici 
remained,  and  they  were  crying  out  for  Lorenzo 
to  accept  their  escort  to  the  palace.  So  the 
Magnifico  departed. 

All  the  while  the  great  bell  of  the  Palazzo 
Vecchio  was  booming  out  its  dread  summons  for 
the  city  trained  bands  and  the  armed  members 

48 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

of  the  Guilds  to  assemble  for  the  defence  of  the 
city  and  the  maintenance  of  their  liberties.  Loud 
cries  of  ''Liberia !''  ''Liberia!''  rolled  up  the 
street,  drowned  by  a  great  chorus  of  "  Evviva  le 
Pallet ''  "  A  basso  i  TraditoriT'  The  whole  city 
was  in  an  uproar  and  blood  was  being  spilt  on 
every  side. 

What  had  happened  was  tragically  this.  Whilst 
one  half  of  the  conspirators  was  told  off  to  strike 
the  fatal  blow,  the  other  half  was  directed  to  rally 
round  Archbishop  Salviati,  who,  by  the  way,  made 
some  excuse  for  not  assisting  ministerially  at  the 
Mass,  but  took  up  his  station  close  to  the  north 
door  of  the  Duomo.  Directly  they  saw  Giuliano 
struck  to  the  ground,  they  made  all  haste  to  the 
Palazzo  Vecchio,  and  demanded  an  interview  with 
Messer  Cesare  de'  Petrucci,  the  Gonfaloniere 
di  Giustizia,  who  had  been  detained  by  urgent 
matters  in  the  Courts. 

When  Messer  Petruccio  enquired  the  nature 
of  their  business,  the  Archbishop  replied  :  "  We 
are  come,  all  the  family  of  Salviati,  to  pay  our 
respects  to  the  Gonfaloniere,  as  in  duty  bound." 
Messer  Cesare  was  at  lunch,  but,  rising  from 
table,  he  welcomed  the  Archbishop,  who  entered 
the  apartment  alone.  He  asked  him  to  be  speedy, 
as  he  had  to  join  the  banquet  to  the  Cardinal  di 
San  Giorgio  almost  immediately. 

Salviati  said  he  was  the  bearer  of  his  family's 
greetings  to  the  Gonfaloniere,  and  also  of  a  private 
Brief  to  him  from  the  Pope.     His  manner  seemed 

D  49 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

so  strange,  and  his  errand  so  irregular,  that 
Petruccio's  suspicions  were  aroused,  and  raising 
the  arras,  he  saw  the  passage  was  filled  with 
armed  men.  At  once  he  called  the  palace  guard 
to  arrest  the  intruders,  and  caused  every  door  of 
exit  to  be  locked. 

The  object,  of  course,  of  the  Archbishop  and 
those  with  him  was  to  seize  the  person  of  the 
Gonfaloniere  and  possess  themselves  of  the 
Banner  of  Justice — that  they  might  rouse  the 
citizens  to  fight  in  its  defence. 

On  the  contrary,  the  people  were  for  the 
Medici,  and  '' Palle  !  "  ''Palle  !  "  prevailed.  Noting 
that  the  Salviati  did  not  leave  the  palace,  and 
that  the  cruards  had  been  withdrawn  from  the  gfate 
and  every  door  was  bolted,  the  populace  broke 
into  the  building,  rescued  the  Gonfaloniere,  and 
the  Signori  with  him,  and  seized  the  persons  of 
the  intruders. 

Without  more  ado  they  ran  the  miscreants, 
Francesco,  Giacopo,  and  Giacopo  di  Giacopo  de' 
Salviati,  Giacopo  de'  Bracciolini,  and  Giovanni  da 
Perugia,  up  to  the  lantern  of  the  Campanile,  and, 
thrusting  their  bodies  through  the  machicolations, 
hung  them  head  downwards !  Others  of  the 
party  and  some  of  the  Cardinal's  servants,  who 
had  accompanied  the  Archbishop,  were  flung 
from  the  windows. 

Cavaliere  Giacopo  de'  Pazzi  was  neither  at  the 
Duomo,  nor  did  he  accompany  the  Archbishop  to 
the  Palazzo  Vecchio.     His  part  was  to  await  news 

50 


The   Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

from  Salviati  that  he  had  seized  the  Gonfaloniere 
and  the  palace,  and  then  to  ride  fully  armed  with 
a  retinue  of  mercenaries  and  Montesicco's  body- 
guard of  the  Cardinal  to  the  Piazza  della  Signoria. 
Without  awaiting  the  signal  he  advanced,  raising 
the  cry  ''Liberia!''  ''Liberia !''  but  none  rallied 
to  his  side. 

Instead,  he  and  his  escort  were  pelted  with 
stones  and,  on  arriving  in  the  Piazza,  he  beheld 
the  gruesome  human  decoration  of  the  Campanile. 
Without  a  moment's  hesitation,  spurring  his  horse, 
he  rode  swiftly  towards  the  Porta  della  Croce, 
and  set  off  into  the  open  country — a  fugitive ! 

Francesco  de'  Pazzi,  after  the  slaughter  of 
Giuliano,  escaped  to  his  uncle's  house,  and 
stripping  himself,  received  attention  to  his  wound, 
which  was  of  a  very  serious  nature.  He  was  not, 
however,  left  very  long  in  peace,  for  the  cry  had 
gone  forth  in  the  streets — "  Death  to  the  traitors  !  " 
"  Down  with  the  Pazzi  and  the  Salviati !  "  "  Fire 
their  houses !  "  The  sword,  still  reeking  red  with 
the  bluest  blood  of  Florence,  was  swiftly  crossed 
by  the  sword  of  retribution.  Francesco  was 
dragged  forth,  naked  as  he  was  from  his  bed, 
buffeted,  pelted,  and  spat  upon,  they  thrust 
him  with  staves,  weapons,  hands  and  feet,  right 
through  the  Piazza  della  Signoria  ;  up  they  forced 
him  to  the  giddy  gallery  of  the  Campanile,  and 
then,  flinging  his  bleeding,  battered  body  out 
among  his  bloodthirsty  comrades,  they  left  him  to 
dangle  and  to  die  with  them  there ! 

51 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

The  Archbishop,  still  in  his  gorgeous  vest- 
ments, turned  in  fury,  as  he  hung  head  downwards 
in  that  ghasdy  company,  and,  seizing  his  fiendish 
confederate,  fixed  his  teeth  in  his  bare  breast,  and 
so  the  guilty  pair  expiated  their  hellish  rage — 
unlovely  in  their  lives,  revolting  in  their  deaths ! 

Poor  Giuliano's  corpse  was  left  weltering  in 
his  blood,  where  he  had  been  done  to  death,  outside 
the  choir  screen  of  the  Duomo.  At  length  he  was 
picked  up  tenderly  by  the  good  Misericordia. 
His  terrible  wounds  were  reverently  washed  and 
his  godlike  body  prepared  for  sepulture.  News 
of  his  assassination  had  been  swiftly  carried  out 
to  Careggi,  and  Domina  Lucrezia,  bracing  herself 
for  the  afflicting  sight,  hastened  to  lay  his  fair 
head  in  her  lap,  a  very  real  replica  of  ''La 
Pieta'' — Blessed  Mary  and  her  Son. 

Ah!  how  she  and  the  women  who  bore  her 
company  wept  for  the  beloved  dead.  Ah !  how 
with  tender  fingers  they  counted  each  gaping 
wound.  Ah !  how  gently  they  cut  off  locks  of  his 
rich  hair,  as  memorials  of  a  sweet  young  life. 

They  buried  Giuliano  that  same  evening,  with 
all  the  honours  due  to  his  rank,  amid  the  tears 
of  an  immense  concourse  of  people — stayed  for  a 
while  from  their  savage  man-hunt.  To  the 
Medici  shrine  of  San  Lorenzo  they  bore  him — 
the  yellow  light  of  the  wax  candles  revealing  the 
tombs  of  Cosimo  and  Piero. 

"There  was  not  a  citizen,"  says  Macchiavelli, 
52 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

"  who,  armed  or  unarmed,  did  not  go  to  the  palace 
of  Lorenzo  in  this  time  of  trouble,  to  offer  him  his 
person  and  his  property — such  was  the  position 
and  the  affection  that  the  Medici  had  acquired  by 
their  prudence  and  their  liberality." 

Lorenzo  came  out  on  the  loggia,  and  addressed 
tilt;  people  massed  in  the  street.  He  thanked 
them  for  their  devotion  and  assistance,  but  en- 
treated them,  for  his  dear,  dead  brother's  sake,  to 
abstain  from  further  atrocities  and  to  disperse  to 
their  homes  in  peace. 

Nevertheless,  all  the  Pazzi  and  Salviati  were 
proclaimed  ''  Ammoniti,''  and  they  were  pursued 
from  house  to  house,  whilst  the  peasants  took  up 
the  hue  and  cry  in  the  contado.  Bleeding  heads 
and  torn  limbs  were  everywhere  scattered  in  the 
streets  ;  door-posts  and  curb-stones  were  dashed 
with  gore  ;  men  and  women  and  the  children,  too, 
were  all  relentless  avengers  of  '' II  bel  Giulids'' 
blood.  It  is  said  that  one  hundred  and  eighty 
stark  corpses  were  borne  away  by  the  merciful 
Misericordia  and  buried  secretly ! 

Cavaliere  Giacopo,  who  had  escaped  into  the 
hilly  country  of  the  Falterona,  near  the  source  of 
the  Arno,  was  recognised  by  a  couple  of  country- 
men, who  were  frequenters  of  the  markets  in 
Florence.  They  seized  him  and  took  him  to  the 
city  gate,  where  they  sold  him  for  fifty  gold  florins. 
His  shrift  was  short,  for  his  purchasers,  adherents 
of  the  Medici,  hacked  off  his  head  in  the  street, 
and  carried  it  upon  a  pole  to  the  Ponte  Vecchio ! 

53 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

Buried  at  Santa  Croce,  in  the  chapel  of  the 
Pazzi,  his  mutilated  body  was  not  left  long  in  its 
grave.  It  was  pulled  up,  denuded  of  the  shroud, 
and,  with  a  rope  tied  round  the  feet,  dragged  by- 
men  and  women  and  even  children  to  the  Lung' 
Arno,  and  pitched,  like  a  load  of  refuse,  into  the 
dusky  river ! 

Several  of  the  arch-conspirators  hid  for  a  while 
in  various  places,  mostly  in  convents,  but  their 
time  came  for  punishment.  The  two  priests, 
Antonio  and  Stefano,  were,  two  days  after  the 
tragedy  in  the  Duomo,  brought  out  of  the  cellars 
of  the  Badia  of  the  Benedictines  at  Santa 
Firenze,  and  killed,  not  swiftly  and  mercifully,  but 
tortured  and  mutilated  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
rabble. 

Bernard  Bandino,  after  picking  himself  up  at 
the  New  Sacristy  doors,  immediately  realised  the 
failure  of  the  conspiracy,  and,  wise  man  that  he 
was,  put  his  own  safety  before  all  other  consider- 
ations. He  worked  his  way  through  the  struggling 
crowd  in  the  Cathedral  and  got  out  by  the  south 
portal.  Luckily  enough,  the  Cardinal's  horse  had 
been  left  tethered  by  its  affrighted  groom  hard  by, 
so  without  awaiting  news  from  the  Archbishop,  he 
vaulted  into  the  saddle  and  made  off  at  a  hand 
gallop  to  the  Porta  Santa  Croce. 

With  more  cunning  than  Giacopo  had  shown, 
he  made,  not  to  the  Tuscan  hills,  but  to  the 
Tuscan  sea,  and  reached  Corneto  just  in  time  to 
board  a  ship  bound  for  the  East,  and  at  the  point 

54 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

of  weighing  anchor.  At  Galata  he  went  ashore 
and  communicated  with  Sixtus,  who  sent  him  a 
goodly  sum  of  money  and  sundry  Papal  safe- 
guards, with  his  blessing ! 

There  he  lay  hid  for  many  weeks,  but,  as  luck 
would  have  it,  one  day  he  came  out  of  his  lair  in 
a  Turkish  divan,  and  encountered  an  agent  of  the 
Medici,  who  recognised  him,  followed  him,  and 
charged  him  before  the  Pasha.  Put  in  irons  by 
the  Sultan's  command,  communication  was  made 
with  Lorenzo.  An  envoy  was  despatched  to  Con- 
stantinople, to  whom  the  wretch  was  handed,  and, 
two  months  after  his  crimes  in  Santa  Maria  del 
Fiore,  his  living  body  was  added  to  the  string  of 
stinking  corpses,  upon  the  side  of  the  Campanile, 
which  still  dangled  in  their  iron  chains,  betwixt 
earth  and  heaven,  rained  on  and  withered  by  the 
elements,  and  fed  upon  by  carrion ! 

All  the  seven  sons  of  Piero  de'  Pazzi  were 
banished  for  life.  They  seem  to  have  had  no 
very  intimate  knowledge  of  the  conspiracy  ;  indeed, 
they  were  all  away  from  Florence,  except  the 
fourth,  Renato,  and  he  was  beheaded  "for  not 
having  revealed  the  plot,  he  being  privy  to  the 
treachery  of  his  uncle  Giacopo  and  his  cousin 
Francesco." 

Renato,  indeed,  tried  to  escape,  knowing  that 
he  was  implicated,  although  not  engaged  in  the 
plot,  but  the  garrison  of  Radicofani  discovered 
him  and  his  hiding-place,  and  he  was  despatched 
under  guard  to  Florence. 

55 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Giovanni  de'  Pazzi,  Francesco's  brother,  who 
had  married  Beatrice  Buonromeo,  hid,  for  a  time, 
in  the  monastery  of  Degli  Angeli,  and  then,  with 
his  wife,  was  banished  to  the  castle  of  VoUerra, 
where  he  died  in  148 1.  It  does  not  appear  that 
he  took  any  active  part  in  the  plot,  although  his 
wronging  by  Lorenzo  was  the  spark  which  fired 
the  whole  conspiracy. 

Guglielmo  de'  Pazzi,  the  husband  of  Bianca 
de'  Medici,  Lorenzo  and  Giuliano's  sister,  was 
protected  by  //  Magnijico,  and  allowed  to  reside 
in  a  villa  twelve  miles  outside  Florence. 

Napoleone  de'  Franzesi,  alone  of  all  the 
conspirators,  effected  his  escape,  but  Piero  de' 
Vespucci,  father-in-law  to  "Z«  bella  Sinionetta" 
— "  //  bel  Giulios  "  innamorata^ — who  assisted 
him,  was  sentenced  to  two  years'  imprisonment 
in  the  Stinche,  with  a  heavy  fine. 

Giovanni  Battista  da  Montesicco's  fate  was, 
perhaps,  the  only  one  which  excited  commisera- 
tion, even  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  Medici. 
A  soldier  of  fortune,  his  weapon  was  at  your 
command,  did  you  but  fill  his  pouch  with  ducats 
of  Rome  or  florins  of  Florence.  To  him  it 
mattered  not  whether  the  adventure  partook  of 
romance  and  espionage,  or  of  intrigue  and  murder. 
Unlike  many  of  his  profession,  he  was  a 
religious  man,  and  just.  He  drew  back  from  his 
bargain  as  soon  as  he  had  experience  of  Lorenzo's 
character,  and  he  refused  point-blank  to  slay  him  in 
a  spot  "where  Christ  could  see  him,"  as  he  said. 

56 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

It  does  not  appear  that  he  was  inside  the 
Cathedral  that  dread  April  morning,  but  remained 
on  watch  to  see  what  transpired.  On  the  defeat 
of  the  conspiracy  he  fled,  with  many  more,  right 
out  of  Tuscany.  Agents  of  the  Medici,  however, 
pursued  him  and,  having  captured  him,  dragged 
him  back  to  Florence.  Before  the  Lords  of  the 
Sio-?ioria  he  made  confession  of  what  he  knew 
of  the  conspiracy  and  of  his  own  part  therein. 
On  4th  May,  just  seven  days  after  the  tragedy, 
he  paid  the  penalty  of  his  misplaced  devotion, 
and  he  was  hanged  within  the  Palace  of  the 
Podesta. 

Two  arch-conspirators  are  still  to  be  accounted 
for,  Pope  Sixtus  IV.  and  Count  Girolamo  de' 
Riari !  The  former  never  expressed  the  least 
regret  or  concern  at  the  tragic  occurrences  in 
Florence,  but  openly  deplored  the  failure  of  his 
scheme  to  replace  Lorenzo  by  Girolamo.  Further- 
more, he  issued  a  "  Bull,"  which  began  :  "  Ini- 
quitatis  filius  et  perditionis  alumnus,"  and  ended 
by  anathema  of  Lorenzo,  whereby  he  was  ex- 
communicated, and  all  Florence  placed  under  an 
Interdict ! 

Moreover,  he  laid  violent  hands  upon  Donate 
Acciaiuolo,  the  Florentine  ambassador,  and,  but 
for  the  prompt  intervention  of  the  envoys  of 
Venice  and  Milan,  would  have  cast  him,  uncharged, 
into  the  dung-eons  of  the  castle  of  Sant  Angfelo. 
The  majority  of  the  Florentine  merchants  in 
Rome  were   arrested,  their  property  confiscated, 

57 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

and,  to  add  insult  to  injury,  Sixtus  demanded 
from  the  Signoria  the  immediate  banishment  of 
Lorenzo.  He  expressed  his  keen  sorrow  for  the 
deaths  of  the  Pazzi  and  Salviati,  his  "devoted 
sons  and  trusty  counsellors."  He  spoke  of  the 
execution  of  the  Archbishop  as  "a  foul  murder 
caused  by  the  tyranny  of  the  Medici,"  and  he  put 
a  price  upon  the  head  of  Cesare  de'  Petrucci,  the 
Gonfaloniere  di  Giustizia  I 

As  for  Count  Girolamo,  who  had,  coward-like, 
kept  in  the  background — he  was  probably  little 
more  than  a  complacent  tool  in  the  hands  of  the 
pontiff — he  was  permitted  to  leave  Florence  in  the 
train  of  the  young  Cardinal,  immediately  before 
the  reception  of  the  Interdict.  He  returned  to 
Rome  and  abandoned  himself  to  a  life  of 
profligacy  ;  his  palace  became  a  brothel  and  a 
gambling  hell,  and  there  he  lived  for  ten  years, 
dishonoured  and  diseased.  His  retributive  death 
was  by  the  hand  of  an  assassin  in  1488. 

The  failure  of  the  plot,  whilst  it  added 
tremendously  to  the  popularity  of  the  Medici  and 
strengthened  still  more  Lorenzo's  position,  threw 
the  Pope  frantically  into  the  arms  of  the  King  of 
Naples.  He  persuaded  him  to  join  in  a  combined 
and  powerful  invasion  of  Tuscany.  At  Ironto 
the  Neapolitan  troops  crossed  the  frontier  and  en- 
camped, whilst  the  Papal  forces  moved  on  from 
Perugia  and  Siena. 

Lorenzo  at  once  called  a  Parliament  to  con- 
sider the  position,   and  to  take  steps  for  the  pro- 

58 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

tection  of  the  city  and  the  defence  of  the  State. 
He  addressed  the  assembly  as  follows  :  "I  know 
not,  Most  Excellent  Lords  and  Most  Worshipful 
Citizens,  whether  to  mourn  or  to  rejoice  with  you 
over  what  has  happened.  When  I  think  of  the 
treachery  and  hatred  wherewith  I  have  been 
attacked,  and  my  brother  slain,  I  cannot  but 
grieve  ;  but  when  I  reflect  with  what  eagerness 
and  zeal,  with  what  love  and  unanimity,  on  the 
part  of  the  whole  city,  my  brother  has  been 
avenged  and  myself  defended,  I  am  moved  not 
merely  to  rejoice,  but  even  to  glory  in  what  has 
transpired.  For,  if  I  have  found  that  I  have 
more  enemies  in  Florence  than  I  had  thought  I 
had,  I  have  at  the  same  time  discovered  that  I 
have  warmer  and  more  devoted  friends  than 
I  knew.  ...  It  lies  with  you,  my  Most  Excellent 
Lords,  to  support  me  still,  or  to  throw  me 
over.  .  .  .  You  are  my  fathers  and  protectors, 
and  what  you  wish  me  to  do,  I  shall  do  only  too 
willingly.  ..." 

All  the  hearers  were  deeply  affected  by 
Lorenzo's  oration,  some  indeed  shed  tears,  but  all 
vowed  to  support  him  in  resisting  the  enemy 
at  the  gate.  "Take  courage,"  they  cried,  "it 
behoves  thee,  Lorenzo,  to  live  and  die  for  the 
Republic  ! " 

At  the  same  time  they  enrolled  a  bodyguard 
of  twelve  soldiers,  whose  duty  it  should  be  to 
accompany  Lorenzo  whenever  he  went  abroad, 
and  to  protect  him  in  his  palace  or  at  his  villas. 

59 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Doubtless  they  thought  the  Pope  might  resort  to 
further  secret  measures  for  the  slaughter  of  his 
enemy. 

Thus  ended  the  terrible  "Conspiracy  of  the 
Pazzi." 


60 


CHAPTER   II 

Ippolito — "//  Cardinaley 
Alessandro — "  //  Negro!' 
LoRENZiNO — *'//  TerribiUy 

The  First  Tyramticide 

"  Go  at  once,  ye  base-born  bastards,  or  I  will  be 
the  first  to  thrust  you  out — Begone !  " 

These  were  the  passionate  words  of  the 
proudest  and  most  ambitious  princess  that  ever 
bore  the  great  name  of  Medici — Clarice,  daughter 
of  Piero  di  Lorenzo — "  II  Magnifico,"  and  wife  of 
Filippo  di  Filippo  degli  Strozzi — *'  II  Primo 
Gentiluomo  del  Secolo." 

They  were  spoken  on  i6th  May  1527,  in  the 
Long  Gallery  of  the  Palazzo  Medici,  in  Florence, 
and  were  addressed  to  two  youths — sixteen  and 
thirteen  years  old  respectively,  who  shrank  with 
terror  at  the  aspect  and  the  vehemence  of  their 
contemner.  Clarice  was  a  virago,  both  in  the 
Florentine  sense  of  man's  equal  in  ability  and 
action,  and  in  the  sense  of  the  present  day — a 
woman  with  a  mighty  will  and  endowed  with 
physical  strength  to  enforce  it. 

The  two  "  bastards "  were  Ippolito,  the 
natural  son  of  Giuliano  de'  Medici,  Duke  of 
Nemours,  and  Alessandro,   the  so-called  illegiti- 

61 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

mate  son  of  Lorenzo  de'  Medici,  Duke  of  Urbino, 
the  virtual  ruler  of  Florence.  The  lads  were  not 
alone  in  their  exposure  to  the  wrath  of  Madonna 
Clarice,  for,  sitting  in  his  chair  of  estate,  was 
Silvio  Passerini,  Cardinal  of  Cortona,  their 
Governor,  and  Pope  Clement  VII. 's  Regent  of  the 
Republic. 

"  Begone  "  !  Well  had  it  been  if  the  Cardinal 
had  taken  his  charges  right  away  from  Florence 
never  to  return. 

"  The  splendour,  not  of  Tuscany  only,  but  of 
the  whole  of  Italy  has  disappeared!"  wrote 
Benedetto  Dei,  in  his  Cronica.  "The  Burial 
Confraternity  of  the  Magi  laid  his  body  in  the 
sacristy  of  San  Lorenzo,  and  the  next  day  the 
funeral  obsequies  were  held  without  pomp — as  is 
the  custom  of  the  Signori — but  quite  simply. 
Truly  it  may  be  said  that  however  gorgeous  the 
ceremonies  might  have  been,  they  would  have 
proved  altogether  too  mean  for  so  great  a  man." 

This  relates  to  the  death  of  Lorenzo  il  Magni- 
fico,  which  occurred  on  8th  April  1492.  That 
year  is  one  of  the  most  memorable  in  modern 
history  :  Columbus  discovered  America  ;  Roderigo 
Borgia  was  elected  Pope;  Charles  VIII.  became 
the  most  prominent  political  figure  in  Europe  ; 
and  the  power  of  Florence  had  reached  its  zenith. 

She  was  not  only  the  Head  of  the  Tuscan 
League  and  the  chief  Republic  in  Europe,  but 
also   the    first   of  modern    states.      If  the    spirit 

62 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

of  the  Greeks  inspired  the  physical  prowess  of 
the  Romans,  the  enlightenment  of  the  Florentines 
brought  forth  the  renascence  of  the  arts  and  crafts 
of  Italy  and  of  the  world. 

Cosimo,  "//  Padre  della  P atria,''  laid  the 
foundation-stone  of  Medici  renown  in  the  iron  grip 
of  his  powerful  personality,  and  Piero,  his  son,  main- 
tained unimpaired  its  eminence  by  his  urbanity 
and  good  sense.  To  Lorenzo,  however,  was 
reserved  the  distinction  of  placing  upon  that  mighty 
column  its  magnificent  copestone,  and  he  adorned 
it  with  the  sevenfold  balls  of  his  escutcheon,  whilst 
on  the  summit  he  held  unfurled  the  ofreat  Red 
Cross  Oriflamme  of  Florence. 

Lorenzo  left  three  sons  and  three  daughters 
to  uphold  that  ensign  and  to  exhibit  the  glory  of 
their  house.  To  the  first-born,  Piero,  came  the 
great  inheritance  of  his  father's  place  and  power, 
and  no  man  ever  entered  into  a  greater  possession, 
— a  possession,  so  firm,  so  unquestioned  and  so 
portentous,  that  nothing  seemed  likely  to  disturb 
its  equilibrium  or  to  sully  its  triumph. 

But,  "  the  son  of  his  father  is  not  always  his 
father's  son,"  and  this  quaint  saying  is  perfectly 
true  of  Piero  de'  Medici — a  youth  of  twenty-one 
years  of  age — the  exact  age  of  his  father  on  his 
succession  to  the  Headship  of  the  State.  Physi- 
cally the  young  prince  was  well  favoured,  he  was 
cultured  and,  like  his  unfortunate  uncle  Giuliano, 
he  was  an  adept  in  all  gentlemanly  exercises. 

Alas,  he  took  not  the  slightest  interest  in 
63 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

politics,  nor  in  the  business  affairs  of  his  house, 
and  the  proverbial  urbanity  and  pushfulness  of  the 
Medici  were  alike  absent.  Whilst  he  lightly- 
handed  over  to  Piero  Dorizzi  di  Bibbiena,  his  Chan- 
cellor, the  conduct  of  public  affairs,  he  listened  to 
the  proud  persuasions  of  his  mother,  to  whom 
anything  like  commercial  pursuits  were  abhorrent. 
Clarice  d'Orsini's  forbears  had  all  been  soldiers, 
Lorenzo's  merchants,  that  made  all  the  difference 
in  Rome's  degenerate  days. 

Of  course  there  was  no  Florentine  girl  good 
enough  to  be  the  bride  of  young  Piero  de'  Medici 
— at  least,  Domina  Clarice,  his  mother,  decided 
so.  She  was  the  proudest  of  the  proud,  and  as 
ignorant  and  prejudiced  as  she  was  haughty. 
Her  son  could  only  wed  a  Roman  princess,  and, 
by  preference,  a  daughter  of  the  Orsini ;  conse- 
quently Alfonsina,  daughter  of  Roberto  d'Orsini, 
Clarice's  cousin,  entered  Florence  in  state  on 
22nd  May  1488,  for  her  magnificent  nuptials  with 
the  young  Capo  della  Repubblica. 

The  same  year  the  Domina  died.  Her  influ- 
ence had  not  been  for  good,  and  her  want  of 
tact  and  her  unpopularity  caused  Lorenzo  much 
anxiety.  Perhaps,  however,  a  prince  of  his  con- 
spicuous and,  in  many  ways,  unique  ability,  was 
better  mated  with  an  unsympathetic  spouse  than 
with  a  woman  who  could,  from  parity  of  gifts, 
enter  into  his  feelings  and  aspirations.  He  lived 
for  the  magnanimous  renown  of  Florence — she 
for  the  selfish  prominence  of  her  family. 

64 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Francesco  de'  Guicciardini  wrote  of  Piero  de' 
Medici  thus  :  "He  was  born  of  a  foreign  mother, 
whereby  Florentine  blood  got  mixed,  and  he 
acquired  foreign  manners  and  bearing,  too  haughty 
for  our  habits  of  life,"  The  prince  gave  up  most 
of  his  time  to  pleasure  and  amusement  with  the 
young  nobles  of  his  court,  and  encouraged  the 
aims  and  ambitions  of  the  self-seeking  scions  of  his 
mother's  family.  At  a  single  bound  the  immense 
personal  popularity  of  Lorenzo,  his  father,  disap- 
peared. Florentines  took  the  young  ruler's 
measure,  and  he  was  found  wanting. 

The  imprisonment  and  threatened  execution 
of  his  cousins,  Lorenzo  and  Giuliano  de'  Medici, 
was  a  flagrant  mistake.  The  three  had  quarrelled 
about  Lorenzo  il  Magnifico's  pretty  daughter, 
Luigia,  but  it  was  a  baseless  rumour  that  she  had 
been  poisoned.  Bad  blood  was  made  always  in 
Florence  by  such  romances  and  such  interference. 

In  September  1494,  Charles  VII L  crossed  the 
Alps,  and,  whilst  Savonarola  fanatically  hailed  his 
coming  to  Florence  as  "  God's  Captain  of  Chas- 
tisement," politicians  of  all  parties  looked  to 
Piero  to  show  a  bold  front  and  resist  the  French 
invader  as  commander-in-chief  of  a  united  Italian 
army. 

Piero  made  no  sign,  but  went  on  playing 
pallone  in  the  Piazza  Santa  Croce.  The  enemy 
seized  the  Florentine  fortresses  of  Sargana,  Sar- 
zanello  and  Pietra  Santa.  The  news  sobered  the 
headstrong,  self-indulgent  prince  for  the  moment, 
E  65 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

and  then  craven  fear  seized  his  undisciplined 
mind.  In  a  panic  he  mounted  his  horse  and, 
attended  only  by  two  officers  of  the  city  guard, 
he  galloped  off  to  King  Charles'  camp. 

In  the  royal  tent  Piero  fell  upon  his  knees, 
craved  forgiveness  for  Florence's  opposition,  and 
pleaded  for  generous  terms  for  himself  and  his 
fellow  -  countrymen.  Charles  demanded  the 
cession  absolutely  of  the  three  fortresses,  with  the 
cities  of  Pisa  and  Livorno,  and  with  them  the 
"loan"  of  200,000  gold  florins!  Piero's  report 
was  listened  to  in  solemn  silence  by  the  Signoria, 
but  when  its  tenor  was  conveyed  to  the  concourse 
of  citizens,  outside  the  Palazzo  Vecchio,  cries  of 
"  Liberia  f'  "  Liberia  !  "  rent  the  air. 

When  Piero  rode  out  of  the  Piazza,  accom- 
panied by  an  armed  escort,  he  was  met  by  an 
exasperated  mob  who  assailed  him  with  missiles 
and  stones.  The  big  bell,  up  in  the  Campanile, 
began  to  speak  its  ominous  summons,  and,  in 
reply  to  faint'  cries  of  ''Palle!"  "'Pallet''' 
renewed  shouts  of  "'Liberia  !''  "'Liberia!''  pro- 
claimed the  abdication  of  the   Medici. 

A  Parliament  was  convened  and  five 
ambassadors  were  appointed  to  treat  with  Charles 
and  revoke  Piero's  surrender.  One  of  them, 
speaking  for  the  rest,  denounced  him  as  "No 
longer  fit  to  rule  the  State" — it  was  Piero  de' 
Capponi.  The  Signoria  passed  a  sentence  of 
expulsion  upon  Piero  and  his  brothers,  and  placed 
a  reward  of  two  thousand  gold  florins  upon  his 

66 


IPPOLITO    DE'    MEDICI- Cardinal. 
Vecellio  Tiziano. 


PITTI     PALACE,    FLORENCE. 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

head,  and  five  thousand  more,  if  he  and  Giovanni, 
his  Cardinal  brother,  were  captured  together. 

Needless  to  say,  before  the  decree  was  pro- 
mulgated Piero  and  Giovanni  flew  precipitately 
through  the  Porta  San  Gallo,  upon  their  way  to 
Bologna,  at  the  head  of  a  few  mercenaries,  and 
with  them  went  Piero's  chancellor. 

An  enraged  mob  of  citizens  rushed  pell-mell 
into  the  Via  Larga,  sacked  the  Palazzo  Medici, 
and  scattered  the  treasures  which  Piero  and 
Lorenzo  had  g-athered  tosfether.  The  streets 
were  strewn  with  costly  furniture,  carpets  and 
tapestry,  and  priceless  works  of  art  were  either 
burnt  or  broken  in  pieces.  It  was  not  a  question 
of  looting  but  of  destruction,  and  for  eighteen 
years  the  building  was  a  mark  for  obscenities  and 
imprecations. 

The  French  army  marched  through  the 
humiliated  city,  and  terror  filled  the  hearts  of  the 
people.  Charles  occupied  a  portion  of  the  palace, 
which  the  Signoria  hastily  put  into  some  sort  of 
order,  borrowing  or  buying  furniture  and  other 
articles  for  his  use. 

On  their  knees,  an  entirely  new  experience  for 
the  proud  Florentines,  the  Signoria  besought  the 
Emperor's  clemency.  He  took  a  high  hand  with 
them,  demanding  a  huge  indemnity  and  threaten- 
ing to  command  his  trumpets  to  sound  for  pillage. 
One  man  alone  asserted  his  liberty,  a  man  who 
throughout  Piero's  short  government  had  voiced 
the    public   discontent — Piero   de'    Capponi — the 

67 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

most  capable  soldier  Florence  possessed.  Boldly 
and  alone  he  faced  the  Conqueror  and  denounced 
his  demands.  He  tore  in  pieces  the  fatal  docu- 
ment of  Piero's  capitulation,  flung  the  pieces  in 
Charles'  face,  and  defied  him,  saying,  "If  you 
sound  your  trumpets  we  shall  ring  our  bells ! " 

Charles  was  cowed,  he  signed  a  treaty  of 
peace  with  honourable  terms  for  Florence,  and 
left  the  city,  after  a  stormy  scene  with  Savonarola. 
"Take  heed,"  the  latter  said,  "not  to  bring  ruin 
on  this  city  and  upon  thyself  the  curse  of  God  !  " 

Piero  outlived  his  cowardly  surrender  and 
shameful  flight  three  years — an  outcast  from  his 
country  and  a  disgrace  to  his  family.  He  found 
an  asylum  in  the  house  of  his  wife  Alfonsina's 
father,  Roberto  d'Orsini,  Count  of  Tagliacozzo 
and  Alba.  In  1502  he  entered  the  service  of  the 
King  of  France,  the  enemy  of  his  country,  against 
the  Spanish  conquerors  of  the  kingdom  of 
Naples.  The  French  were  worsted  and  took  to 
their  ships  at  Gaeta.  Piero  escaped,  but  his 
death  followed  shortly,  for  the  boat  in  which  he 
was  crossing  the  River  Garigliano,  or  Liri,  near 
the  famous  stronghold  of  that  name,  was  swamped 
by  the  fire  of  the  Spanish  artillery  and  he  was 
drowned.  Cambi,  who  relates  the  history,  senten- 
tiously  winds  up  his  narrative  with  the  apposite 
words,  "  Thanks  be  to  God !  " 

After  Savonarola's  death  in  1498,  Piero  de' 
Soderini  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  Govern- 
ment as  Gonfaloniere  di  Giustizia,  whilst  Piero's 

68 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

brother,  Cardinal  Giovanni,  took  up  the  leader- 
ship of  his  discredited  party.  The  terrible  sack 
of  Prato  in  15 12  was  an  opportunity  for  the 
Medici,  which  they  did  not  neglect  to  use  to  their 
advantage.  In  terror  the  Florentine  Government 
paid  140,000  gold  florins  to  the  Spanish  Viceroy 
and  commander,  who  made  it  a  condition  of  his 
evacuation  of  Tuscany,  that  the  Medici  should 
be  recalled  as  private  citizens,  and  be  granted 
permission  to  purchase  back  their  forfeited  pro- 
perty. On  1 2th  September  of  the  same  year, 
Giuliano,  the  third  son  of  Lorenzo  il  Magnifico, 
with  his  young  nephew,  Lorenzo,  Piero's  son, 
entered  Florence,  attended  by  a  small  following. 
He  was  one  of  the  noblest  of  his  race,  but  he 
was  wholly  lacking  in  initiative  and  energy.  He 
made  no  claim  to  political  eminence,  and  his  self- 
abnegation  led  to  the  return  to  Florence  of  his 
more  pushful  brother,  the  Cardinal,  who  was 
accompanied  by  Giulio  de'  Medici,  the  bastard 
son  of  the  murdered  Giuliano.  They  installed 
themselves  in  the  restored  palace,  assumed  much 
of  the  wonted  state  of  their  family  in  bygone 
days,  and  were  accorded  public  recognition  and 
honour. 

The  following  year  Cardinal  Giovanni  was 
elected  Pope  as  Leo  X.,  and,  at  the  same  time, 
Giuliano  was  created  Duke  of  Nemours — a  dignity 
bestowed  by  Francis  L  of  France — and  Lorenzo 
became  Duke  of  Urbino.  The  conferring  of 
these  titles  stirred  the  rancour  of  a  considerable 

69 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

number  of  ambitious  Signori,  and  intrigue  and 
plots  to  upset  the  rising  fortunes  of  the  Medici 
were  rife.  The  very  next  day  after  the  death  of 
Pope  Julius  IL,  Bernardo  de'  Capponi  and  Pietro 
Papolo  de'  Boscoli  were  condemned  to  be  hung 
within  the  Palace  of  the  Podesta,  for  an  attempt 
upon  the  lives  of  Giuliano,  Lorenzo,  and  Giulio 
de'  Medici.  Eighteen  accomplices  were  tortured 
and  many  others  banished :  Niccolo  Macchiavelli 
was  implicated  in  the  conspiracy,  but  he  appears 
to  have  escaped  punishment. 

Quietly  but  persistently  the  power  of  the 
great  family  was  recovered.  "The  Pope  and  his 
Medici "  became  a  proverb  throughout  Italy : 
all  men  noted  their  rising  fortunes  and  their 
bids  for  power.  Giulio  was  preconised  Cardinal, 
Giuliano  appointed  Gonfaloniere  of  the  Papal 
army,  and  Lorenzo  became  the  virtual  Head  of 
the  Florentine  Republic.  Giuliano  died  in  1516, 
Lorenzo  in  15 19,  and  Pope  Leo  X.  in  1521. 
The  first  left  no  legitimate  offspring,  and  the 
second  only  one  daughter,  Caterina,  besides  a 
natural  son,  Alessandro. 

Upon  the  death  of  Lorenzo,  Duke  of  Urbino, 
Cardinal  Giulio  de'  Medici  hastened  to  Florence, 
where  he  was  permitted  to  assume  almost  auto- 
cratic control  of  State  affairs.  Possibly  he  was 
regarded  in  the  light  of  Regent  for  Lorenzo's 
only  legitimate  child,  Caterina.  He  had  un- 
doubtedly personal  fitness  for  the  post  of  Chief 

70 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

of  the  Republic.  During  the  brief  period,  barely 
five  months,  of  his  administration,  he  did  very 
much  to  place  public  interests  upon  a  firm  and 
practical  basis. 

Very  adroitly  he  played  off  the  "  Ottimati'' 
under  Pietro  de'  Ridolfi,  against  the  "■  Frateschi,'' 
led  by  Giacopo  de'  Salviati,  without  identifying 
himself  with  either  party.  Recalled  to  Rome  on 
the  death  of  Leo  X.,  he  left  Cardinal  Silvio 
Passerini  of  Cortona  his  deputy  :  a  man  useful  as 
a  tool  but  of  no  ability  or  judgment.  Adrian 
VI.,  who  succeeded  to  the  Papacy,  was  a  weak 
pontiff,  and  Rome  became  a  hot-bed  of  intrigue 
and  villainy. 

A  plot  to  assassinate  Cardinal  de'  Medici 
failed,  and,  in  1523,  he  was,  after  many  weeks  of 
wrangling,  elected  Pope,  with  the  title  of  Clement 
VII.  In  the  Vatican,  that  "refuge  for  bastards 
and  foundlings,"  room  was  found  for  two  boys, 
cousins,  each  the  offspring  of  a  Medici  father,  but 
illegitimate.  They  were  brought  up  under  the 
immediate  eye  of  the  Pope,  indeed  one  of  them, 
the  younger,  was  said  to  be  the  son  of  Clement. 

Ippolito,  just  fourteen  years  old,  was  the 
bastard  son  of  Giuliano  de'  Medici,  Duke  of 
Nemours.  His  mother  was  a  noble  lady  of 
Urbino,  Pacifica  Brandini,  but  she  permitted  her 
child  to  be  exposed  in  the  streets,  in  a  basket, 
where  he  was  rescued,  and  taken  into  the  foundling 
ward  of  the  Confraternity  of  Santa  Maria  di  Piano 
d' Urbino.     There  the  kindly  Religious  gave  him 

71 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

the  name  of"  Pasqualino,"  indicative  of  the  Church 
season  of  Easter,  when  he  entered  surreptitiously 
upon  the  world's  stage. 

When  the  child  was  less  than  two  years  old 
the  nuns  of  Santa  Maria  were  removed  to  Rome, 
and  they  took  with  them,  along  with  other  un- 
fortunates, little  Pasqualino.  Upon  a  visit,  which 
Pope  Leo  paid  to  the  convent,  he  noticed  the 
young  boy,  and  as  he  smiled  and  tried  to  get  at 
his  Holiness,  Leo  was  struck  with  his  good  looks 
and  made  enquiries  about  his  origin.  In  the  end, 
Leo  undertook  the  little  fellow's  education  and 
maintained  his  interest  in  him,  and,  moreover, 
ordered  his  name  to  be  changed  to  Ippolito. 

Alessandro — the  younger  boy — twelve  years 
old,  was  the  son  of  Lorenzo  de'  Medici,  created 
Duke  of  Urbino  in  1536,  when  the  Pope  annexed 
that  principality  to  the  pontifical  estates,  upon  the 
excommunication  of  the  rightful  sovereign.  His 
mother  was  a  woman  of  colour,  a  Tartar  slave- 
girl,  who  passed  for  the  wife  of  a  vetterale  or 
courier,  in  the  pay  of  the  Duke.  He  was  a 
native  of  Colle  Vecchio,  near  Riete,  in  Umbria, 
and  went  by  the  name  of  Bizio  da  Collo,  whilst 
the  girl  was  simply  called  Anna.  Alessandro,  later 
on,  was  made  to  feel  the  baseness  of  his  origin,  for 
he  was  greeted  contemptuously  as  "  Alessandro  da 
Colle  Vecchio!"  His  supposed  father,  Bizio, 
died  in  15 19,  but  Cardinal  Giulio  de'  Medici 
adopted  him. 

The  two  boys  grew  up  together  at  the  Vatican, 
72 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

alike  in  one  respect  only,  their  mutual  hatred  of 
each  other.  They  were,  indeed,  as  unlike  as  two 
boys  could  be.  Ippolito,  as  the  child  of  gentle 
parents,  had  an  aristocratic  bearing.  He  was  a 
clever  lad  and  excelled  especially  in  classical  learn- 
ing, in  music  and  poetry.  In  appearance  he 
became  remarkably  handsome,  with  polished 
manners  and  a  fondness  for  spending  money  and 
for  ostentation. 

Alessandro,  on  the  other  hand,  exhibited  the 
attributes  of  his  low-born  mother.  Physically 
well-made,  he  was  dark  of  skin,  with  dark,  curly 
hair,  thick  lips,  and  close-set  Eastern  eyes.  His 
tastes  were  unrefined.  He  had  none  of  Ippolito's 
gentleness  and  attractiveness,  but  in  disposition 
he  was  morose,  passionate,  and  cruel.  His 
manners  were  marked  by  abruptness  and  vul- 
garity. He  was  no  genius,  and  refused  to  receive 
the  lessons  of  his  masters,  and  set  at  defiance 
all  who  claimed  authority.  Alessandro  was  a 
shrewd  lad  all  the  same,  and  became  Clement's 
inseparable  companion — no  doubt  he  was  his  son  ! 

Everybody  noticed  the  mutual  affection 
between  "uncle"  and  "nephew,"  which  gave 
clear  indication  of  a  nearer  relationship.  Clement's 
word  was  Alessandro's  law,  and,  when  the  cousins 
fell  out,  as  they  did  many  times  a  day,  the  inter- 
ference of  their  uncle  brought  peace,  but  for 
Ippolito  dissatisfaction,  as  he  was  usually  ruled 
to  be  in  the  wrong.  This  boyish  rivalry  led  to 
more  considerable  emulation  and  the  proprieties  of 

73 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

the  Papal  palace  were  rudely  shaken  by  the 
quarrels  and  the  struggles  of  the  cousins. 

They  were  parted  and  removed  each  to  a 
remote  portion  of  the  palace,  with  separate  suites 
of  attendants,  and  their  only  meetings  took  place 
in  the  private  apartments  of  the  Pope,  and  rarely. 
Thus  Ippolito  and  Alessandro  entered  upon  their 
teens  with  no  judicious,  kindly,  or  formative 
influences  around  them.  It  was  said  that  each 
boy  threw  in  the  other's  face  the  fact  of  his 
illegitimacy,  which  fawning  dependants  had  re- 
vealed to  them.  Their  environment  and  associates 
were  most  undesirable,  and  nothing  was  done  to 
instil  and  encourage  sentiments  of  honour,  self- 
control,  truthfulness,  and  charity.  Their  initiation 
into  the  hypocrisies  of  spiritual  life  and  ecclesi- 
astical duty  produced  distaste  and  contempt  for 
religious  exercises. 

There  was  yet  another  protdgde  of  Clement's 
left  upon  the  world  of  mutability  and  chance — an 
orphan  child,  the  only  issue  of  Lorenzo,  Duke  of 
Urbino  and  his  wife  Maddalena,  daughter  of  Jean 
de  la  Tour  d'Auvergne  et  de  Bourbon.  Married 
in  1 518,  the  delicate  young  mother  died  in  child- 
birth the  following  year,  leaving  her  sweet  little 
baby  girl,  Caterina,  to  the  care  of  her  broken- 
hearted husband. 

The  future  Queen  of  France  was  placed  with 
the  foundling  nuns  of  the  convent  of  Santa  Lucia 
in  the  Via  San  Gallo.  Thence  she  was  removed 
to  the  convent  of  Santa  Caterina  di  Siena,  back 

74 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

to  the  nuns  of  Santa  Lucia  once  more,  and  then 
handed  over  to  the  charge  of  the  noble  convent  of 
S.  Annunziata  delle  Murate  until  1525,  when  her 
aunt,  Madonna  Clarice  de'  Medici,  wife  of  Messer 
Filippo  negli  Strozzi,  was  constituted  her  guardian 
and  instructress. 

Right  well  the  new  governante  carried  out  the 
instructions  of  Clement,  and  she  only  relinquished 
her  charge  when  the  Pope  commanded  the  young 
girl,  just  eleven  years  old,  to  Rome.  Apartments 
were  provided  for  her  and  her  suite  in  the  Palazzo 
Medici,  where  Madonna  Lucrezia,  Lorenzo  il 
Magnifico's  daughter,  and  wife  of  Giacomo  de' 
Salviati,  was  appointed  her  protectress. 

Without  a  mother's  care,  and  tossed  about  here 
and  there,  Caterina  grew  up  devoid  of  high 
principles,  and  became  the  toy  of  every  passing 
pleasure  and  indulgence.  All  the  eligible  princes 
of  Europe  were,  in  turn,  supposed  to  be  her 
admirers,  and  rivals  for  her  hand  and  fortune. 
And  truly  the  last  legitimate  descendant,  as  she 
was,  of  the  great  Cosimo,  was  a  prize  in  the 
matrimonial  market — if  not  for  her  beauty  and 
her  virtues,  at  all  events  for  her  wealth  and  rank. 
Indeed,  there  was  a  project,  seriously  entertained, 
seeing  that  the  elder  line  of  the  Medici  had  failed 
to  produce  a  male  heir,  of  acknowledging  Caterina 
as  ''  Domina  di  Firenze"  with  a  strong  council  of 
Regency  to  carry  on  the  government  in  her  name. 

This  proposal  did  not  gain  any  favour  outside 
the   Papal   cabinet :    in   Florence  it  was  scouted 

75 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

with  derision.  Two  violent  politicians,  if  not 
more,  lost  their  heads  over  the  young  girl's 
destiny  —  Battista  Cei,  for  proposing  that  she 
should  be  placed  in  the  lions'  den,  and  Bernardo 
Castiglione,  for  demanding  that  she  should  be  put 
upon  the  streets  of  Florence,  wearing  the  yellow 
badge  of  woman's  shame ! 

In  Rome  Caterina  conceived  at  once  an 
invincible  repugnance  for  Alessandro — her  father's 
son.  His  appearance,  his  manner,  his  language 
appalled  her ;  probably  she  was  not  long  before 
she  knew  the  story  of  his  birth.  On  no  account 
would  she  speak  to  him,  and,  if  he  entered  an 
apartment  where  she  happened  to  be,  she  rushed 
out,  crying,  ''  Negrello — Bastardo  !'' 

With  Ippolito,  on  the  contrary,  she  was  the 
best  of  friends.  She  admired  the  good-looking 
boy,  his  talents  for  music,  and  his  skill  in 
gentlemanly  exercises.  The  Venetian  ambassador 
at  the  Vatican  remarked,  in  a  letter  to  his  Govern- 
ment:  "We  have  here  a  little  Medici  princess, 
Caterina,  the  only  child  of  the  late  Lorenzo,  Duke 
of  Urbino.  She  and  Don  Ippolito,  the  bastard 
son  of  Duke  Giuliano,  are  inseparable  companions. 
The  boy  is  very  fond  of  his  young  cousin,  whilst 
she  is  devoted  to  him.  She  has  confidence  in 
nobody  else,  and  she  asks  him  only  for  everything 
she  wants."  Ultimately,  of  course,  Caterina  de' 
Medici  became  Queen  of  France,  as  the  consort 
of  Henry  II. 

The  trend  of  affairs  in  Florence  gave  Pope 
76 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Clement  grave  anxiety,  for,  of  course,  his  own 
personal  control  became  less  and  less  effective 
upon  his  elevation  to  the  Papacy.  Accredited 
representatives  of  the  family  were  required  to  be 
in  residence  there  for  the  maintenance  of  Medici 
supremacy,  Alas,  legitimate  male  heirs  of  the 
senior  branch  from  Cosimo,  "//  Padre  della 
Patria,''  were  non-existent,  and  Giovanni  delle 
Bande  Nere  and  his  family  would  not,  had  he 
been  chosen  as  Capo  della  Repiibblica,  consent  to 
be  dependent  upon  Rome. 

Clement  took  counsel  with  the  Florentine 
ambassadors,  who  had  been  sent  to  congratulate 
him  upon  his  elevation.  Very  adroitly  he  placed 
by  his  chair  of  state  the  two  youths,  who  passed 
for  Medici,  and  who  were  "as  dear  to  him  as 
sons" — Ippolito  and  Alessandro.  In  compliment 
to  the  Pope,  and  certainly  not  from  conviction, 
the  fourteen  envoys  agreed  in  asking  him  to  send 
the  two  boys  to  Florence,  under  the  charge  of  a 
worthy  administrator,  who  should  hold  the  reins 
of  government  in  Clement's  name. 

Delighted  with  the  success  of  his  stratagem, 
Clement  chose  the  Cardinal  of  Cortona,  one  of 
his  most  obedient  and  faithful  creatures,  to  accom- 
pany Ippolito,  nearly  sixteen  years  old,  to  Florence 
as  quasi- Regent  for  the  lad,  With  them  went, 
as  Ippolito's  chamberlains,  four  Florentine  youths 
of  good  birth  who  were  favourites  of  the  Pope, 
Alessandro  de'  Pucci,  Pietro  de'  Ridolfi,  Luigi 
della  Stufa,  and  Palla  de'  Rucellai. 

n 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

The  corteofe  was  received  in  Florence  with- 
out  demonstrations  of  any  kind ;  but  certainly 
Ippolito  made  a  very  favourable  impression  by 
his  good  looks  and  gaiety.  The  Cardinal  and 
his  companions  drew  rein  first  at  the  Church  of 
the  SS.  Annunziata,  where  they  heard  Mass,  and 
they  then  rode  on  to  the  renovated  Palazzo 
Medici.  A  meeting  of  the  Signoria  was  convened, 
and  by  a  narrow  majority  Ippolito  was  declared 
eligible  for  the  offices  of  State. 

The  appointment  of  Passerini  was  unfortunate. 
**  He  was,"  writes  Benedetto  Varchi,  "like  most 
prelates,  extremely  avaricious  ;  he  had  neither  the 
intellect  to  understand  the  Florentine  character 
nor  the  judgment  to  manage  it,  had  he  understood 
it."  Ippolito  assumed  at  once  the  style  of  "II 
Magnifico,"  and  began  to  display  a  lust  for  power 
and  a  taste  for  extravagance  quite  unusual  in  so 
young  a  lad.  The  Cardinal  yielded  to  every 
whim,  and  very  soon  a  goodly  number  of  courtiers 
rallied  round  the  handsome  youth. 

Having  launched  one  of  his  proteges  success- 
fully upon  the  troubled  sea  of  Florentine  politics, 
Clement  despatched  Alessandro,  under  the  care 
of  Rosso  de'  Ridolfi,  one  of  his  most  trustworthy 
attendants,  with  little  Caterina  de'  Medici.  They 
were  instructed  to  report  themselves  to  Cardinal 
Passerini,  and  then  without  delay  to  proceed  to 
the  Villa  Poggio  a  Caiano. 

This  was  a  very  wise  arrangement  on  the  part 
of  Clement,  in  view  of  the  strenuous  rivalry  and 

78 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

emphatic  dislike  the  two  lads  had  for  each  other. 
The  two  were  kept  apart  as  they  had  been  at  the 
Vatican,  but  this  led  naturally  to  the  creation  of 
rival  parties  and  rival  courts,  each  of  which 
acclaimed  their  respective  young  leaders  as  // 
Capo  della  Repubblica  and  "  1/  Sig7iore  di  Firemen 
Better  far  as  matters  turned  out,  had  it  been 
deemed  sufficient  to  advance  Ippolito  alone.  His 
splendid  talents — although  linked  to  fickleness 
and  inconsistency — and  his  liberality,  appealed  to 
the  Florentines,  and  he  might  have  proved  a 
second   Lorenzo  il   Magnifico. 

The  sack  of  Rome  in  1527  and  the  imprison- 
ment of  Clement  VII.  in  the  fortress  of  Sant 
Angelo,  raised  the  spirits  of  the  Republicans  of 
Florence.  Niccolo  de'  Soderini,  Francesco  de' 
Guicciardini  and  Pietro  de'  Salviati  took  up  a 
strong  position  as  leaders  of  a  popular  party,  and 
once  more  the  cry  of  '' Liberia T'  ''Liberia!'' 
was  raised.  Cardinal  Passerini  was  advised  to 
leave  Florence  and  to  take  the  two  lads  with  him. 

Among  those  who  escaped  from  Rome  were 
Filippo  negli  Strozzi  and  his  wife  Clarice.  They 
posted  off  to  Florence,  and  whilst  Filippo  tempor- 
ised with  the  Cardinal  and  with  the  party  of 
reform  on  either  hand,  Clarice  declared  openly  for 
the  opponents  of  her  own  family. 

She  attended  a  specially  convened  meeting  of 
the  anti-Medicean  party,  and  placed  her  services 
at  their  disposal.  It  was  arranged  that  she  should 
visit  the  Cardinal    the    following   day.     Dressed 

79 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

superbly,  wearing  the  family  jewels,  and  conveyed 
in  a  State  sedan-chair,  she  proceeded  to  the  Palazzo 
Medici — the  house  of  her  fathers.  Ippolito  and 
Alessandro,  with  their  tutors  and  attendants,  met 
her  upon  the  grand  staircase,  and  conducted  her 
to  the  presence  of  the  Cardinal. 

Standing  in  the  Long  Gallery,  she  poured 
forth  a  torrent  of  scornful  words  upon  the  base- 
born  scions  of  her  family.  "  My  Lord,"  she  cried, 
"my  Lord,  to  what  a  pass  has  my  family  sunk. 
Do  you  think  that  any  of  my  great  ancestors 
would  have  borne  you  so  long.  Alas !  that  my 
race  has  none  but  female  legitimate  offspring." 
Then  turning  to  the  astonished  lads  she  con- 
tinued :  "You  had  better  both  look  out  for  your- 
selves and  go  away  before  the  Cardinal  here 
destroys  you  and  Florence !  " 

Some  of  the  suite  tried  to  interfere  and  to 
pacify  the  enraged  woman,  but  to  no  avail,  she 
went  on  vehemently  to  denounce  the  intrusion  of 
the  two  bastards. 

"  Begone,  you  who  are  not  of  the  blood  of  the 
Medici,  both  of  you,  from  a  house  and  from  a  city 
to  which  neither  of  you,  nor  your  patron,  Clement 
— wrongfully  Pope  and  now  justly  a  prisoner  in 
Sant  Angelo — have  any  legitimate  claim,  by 
reason  of  birth  or  of  merit.  Go  at  once,  ye  base- 
born  bastards,  or  I  will  be  the  first  to  thrust 
you  out ! " 

Her  hearers  quailed  under  her  invective,  and 
Passerini  humbly   promised   to   quit    the   palace, 

80 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

but  when  Clarice  had  gone,  he  sent  for  Fillppo 
negh  Strozzi  and  expostulated  with  him.  Filippo's 
apology  was  as  quaint  as  it  was  effective.  "Had 
she  not  been,"  said  he,  "  a  woman  and  a  Medici, 
he  would  have  administered  to  her  such  a  public 
chastisement  as  would  have  gone  bad  with  her !  " 
He,  nevertheless,  strongly  advised  the  Cardinal  to 
depart,  and  he  conveyed  the  intelligence  that  the 
lives  of  the  two  lads  were  by  no  means  secure, 
and  that  should  anything  happen  to  them,  the 
Pope  would  demand  them  at  his  hands. 

On  29th  May  1527,  Cardinal  Passerini,  with 
Ippolito  and  Alessandro  and  their  suite,  accom- 
panied by  Filippo,  rode  out  to  Poggio  a  Caiano, 
amid  the  execrations  of  the  populace.  Thence 
they  departed  for  Rome,  where  the  young  men 
lived  more  or  less  quietly  for  two  years  in 
Clement's  private  apartments  at  the  Vatican. 

In  spite  of  Ippolito's  superiority  of  appearance, 
manners  and  attainments,  the  Pope  made  no  con- 
cealment of  his  preference  for  Alessandro.  He 
created  him  Duke  of  Citta  di  Penna  —  a  fief 
within  the  Papal  States — and  decided  that  the 
riches  and  greatness  of  the  House  of  Medici 
should  be  continued  in  Alessandro  and  not  in 
Ippolito. 

"  Ippolito,"  wrote  Varillas,  "  was  seized  with 
incredible  grief  and  indignation,  and  it  seemed  to 
him,  that  being  older,  a  nearer  relation  to  the 
Pope,  and  better  endowed  by  nature,  so  rich  an 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

inheritance  should  rather  be  his  .  .  .  either  not 
knowing  or  not  believing  the  rumours  that 
Alessandro  was  Clement's  son." 

Goaded  by  what  he  conceived  to  be  a  legiti- 
mate ambition,  Ippolito  posted  off  to  Florence 
with  the  idea  of  seizing  the  executive  power. 
Clement  despatched  Baccio  Valori  after  him,  with 
entreaties  and  promises,  and  finding  that  he  had 
no  welcome  among  the  Florentines,  Ippolito 
returned  quietly  to   Rome. 

The  Pope  immediately,  and  without  consult- 
ing him,  preconised  him  Cardinal — greatly  to  his 
disgust.  He  had  no  wish  for  ecclesiastical  prefer- 
ment, he  was  a  soldier  at  heart,  and  meant  to  be 
ruler  of  Florence.  Clement  noted  the  young 
man's  partialities — he  was  only  just  twenty  years 
of  age,  and  he  encouraged  him  in  his  extravagant 
tastes  by  liberally  endowing  his  Cardinalate.  A 
Brief  "^ In  comvienda7n''  was  bestowed  upon  him, 
whereby  the  revenue  of  all  vacant  benefices  and 
Papal  dignities,  for  six  months,  were  transferred 
to  his  account.  Moreover,  in  1529,  he  was 
appointed  Archbishop  of  Avignon,  Legate  of 
Perugia,  and  Administrator  of  the  See  of  Casale. 
These  fat  endowments  very  considerably  affected 
Ippolito's  position.  In  Rome  he  had  a  Court  of 
three  hundred  notable  personages  of  all  nations  ; 
his  most  intimate  friends  were  soldiers  and  states- 
men of  renown,  and  writers  and  artists  of  the 
highest  abilities  and  fame. 

Clement  having  placated  Ippolito,  set  to  work 
82 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

to  carry  out  his  plans  for  Alessandro.  He 
wrote  on  his  behalf  to  the  Emperor  Charles  V. 
to  invite  him  on  his  way  from  Flanders,  whither 
he  had  travelled  to  avoid  disputes  with  Ippolito, 
to  visit  the  Imperial  Court.  Charles  received 
Alessandro  with  great  honour,  and  expressed  his 
pleasure  at  greeting  the  near  relative  of  the  Pope. 

A  treaty  was  subsequently  signed  at  Barcelona 
between  Charles  and  Clement,  whereby  it  was 
agreed  that  Alessandro  should  espouse  Margaret, 
Charles'  illegitimate  daughter,  and  that  Clement 
should  create  Florence  a  Dukedom  in  favour  of 
Alessandro.  At  the  same  time  the  Emperor  was 
asked  to  intercede  between  the  rival  cousins  but 
he  naively  replied,  "  Neither  wants  liberty  but 
agrarandisement !     Let  them  be." 

Alessandro  entered  Florence  on  5th  July  1531 
accompanied  by  Giovanni  Antonio  Muscettola, 
envoy  and  chancellor  of  the  Emperor  He  pro- 
ceeded to  the  Palazzo  Vecchio,  there  he  read 
aloud  the  injunction  of  Clement,  countersigned 
by  Charles,  which  established  him  as  Duke  of 
Florence.  The  office  of  Gonfaloniere  di  Giustizia 
was  abolished,  and  the  Signoria  restricted  in  their 
powers  as  merely  consultative  authorities.  At 
the  same  time  the  Republic  was  superseded  and 
the  citizens  allowed  to  exercise  the  franchise  only 
in  the  election  of  civil  magistrates. 

The  coup  dHat  was  complete  and  meekly 
enough  the  Signoria  declared  that — "  Considering 
the  excellent  qualities,  life  and  habits  of  the  most 

83 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

illustrious  Duke  Alessandro  de'  Medici,  son  of 
the  late  Magnificent  Lorenzo,  Duke  of  Urbino  ; 
and  in  recognition  of  the  many  and  great  benefits 
received,  both  spiritual  and  temporal,  from  the 
House  of  Medici,  he  was  eligible  for  all  the 
offices  of  State." 

Alessandro  at  once  began  to  follow  the  bent 
of  his  base  inclinations.  As  supreme  Head  of 
the  State  he  ruled  autocratically,  and  set  justice 
and  decency  at  defiance.  The  Florentines 
abashed  by  the  pass  in  which  they  found  them- 
selves, seemed  powerless  to  oppose  the  Duke's 
aggression  upon  their  liberties.  That  had  come 
to  pass  against  which  they  had  striven  for 
hundreds  of  years — Florence  was  subject  to  // 
governo  dun  solo. 

Significantly  enough,  Alessandro  took  as  his 
motto  "  Un  solo  Signore,  una  sola  Legge,''  and 
this  he  stuck  up  all  over  Tuscany.  He  applied 
it  quite  autocratically  by  disarming  the  citizens, 
building  fortresses,  banishing  the  disaffected 
nobles,  and  confiscating  all  properties  he  coveted. 
These  were  but  the  beginnings  of  troubles. 

Taxes  were  doubled,  every  office  at  court 
was  held  by  a  creature  and  toady  of  the  Duke, 
bribery  and  corruption  of  all  kinds  ruled  the 
State,  and  there  appeared  to  be  no  limit  to  his 
lust  and  rapacity,  and  no  barrier  against  the 
chicanery  of  his  adherents. 

Added  to  all  this  was  the  dislocation  of  public 
order.     Florence  became  a  hot-bed  of  immorality 

84 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

and  a  sink  of  iniquity.  Women  were  openly 
ravished  in  the  streets,  the  inmates  of  convents 
were  not  spared,  men  were  wronged  and  removed 
suspiciously,  the  eyes  and  ears  of  the  children 
were  assailed  by  unblushing  depravity.  The 
oubliettes  of  the  Bigallo  had  their  fill  of  victims. 

"Tyrant  of  Florence"  was  the  designation 
which  best  fitted  the  new  ruler.  He  destroyed 
the  fabric  of  society  and  polluted  the  sanctity  of 
family  life.  Dismay  and  revenge  alternated  in 
the  feelings  of  the  people.  Those  who  dared, 
began  to  flock  to  Ippolito,  who,  with  grim  satis- 
faction, received  at  his  palace  in  Rome  all  dis- 
affected refugees.  Meetings  were  held  at  Filippo 
negli  Strozzi's  house,  and  a  movement  was  set  on 
foot  for  the  overthrow  of  Alessandro  and  his 
dissolute  government.  A  deputation  was  sent  to 
the  Emperor  Charles  to  complain  of  the  tyranny 
of  the  Duke  and  to  expose  his  immoral  life. 
This  sealed  Ippolito's  fate,  for  Alessandro  at 
once  took  steps,  not  only  to  checkmate  the 
action  of  the  deputation,  but  to  circumvent  the 
destruction  of  his  rival. 

Clement  had  of  course  full  knowledge  of  the 
condition  of  affairs  in  Florence,  and  of  the  increase 
of  hostility  between  the  cousins,  but  both  he  and 
Paul  III.,  who  succeeded  him  as  Pope  in  1534, 
kept  Ippolito  engaged  in  military  and  diplomatic 
duties  away  from  Italy.  Knowing  his  predilec- 
tion for  soldiering,  he  was  despatched,  at  the  head 
of  eight  thousand  horsemen,  to  the  assistance  of 

8s 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

the  Emperor  against  the  Turks  who  had  invaded 
Hungary  under  the  Sultan  SoHman.  His  valour 
and  ability  were  remarkable ;  and  the  dash  with 
which  he  marched,  later  on,  to  the  defence  of 
Rome,  marked  him  as  a  commander  of  rare  dis- 
tinction. 

Returning  once  more  to  Rome,  he  abandoned 
himself  to  a  career  of  debauchery  and  extrava- 
gance. Catillo,  his  castle-villa  at  Tivoli,  became 
the  resort  of  immoral  and  disreputable  persons. 
The  Pope  sought  to  redress  the  disorder :  he 
owed  much  to  Ippolito  at  the  time  of  his  election 
to  the  Papacy,  which  was  in  a  great  measure 
achieved  by  his  keen  advocacy,  so  he  sent  him 
on  embassies  to  the  Emperor  at  Barcelona,  and 
to  the  King  of  Naples,  under  promise  of  rich 
revenues. 

At  the  castle  of  Fondi,  near  the  little  town 
of  Itri  in  the  Neapolitan  province  of  Terra  di 
Lavoro,  eight  miles  from  the  fortress  of  Gaeta, 
and  overlooking  the  high  road  from  Rome  to 
Naples,  was  living,  in  strict  retirement,  a  girl 
greatly  beloved  by  the  Cardinal.  Guilia  Gonzaga, 
such  was  her  name,  was  the  attractive  and  clever 
daughter  of  Messer  Vespasiano  Colonna,  whose 
brother,  Cavaliere  Stefano,  had  taken  a  prominent 
and  honourable  part  in  the  defence  of  Florence 
during  the  memorable  siege  of  1529- 1530. 

Guilia  was  certainly  only  one  of  the  many 
eligible  maidens  proposed  at  various  times  as  a 
wife  for  the  young  ecclesiastic ;  but,  in  her  case, 

86 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

the  betrothal  was  all  but  effected,  and  with  the 
approval  of  Pope  Clement,  whose  conscience 
smote  him  when  he  saw  that  his  handsome  and 
gay  young  nephew  was  anything  but  disposed  to 
observe  the  conventions  of  his  Order. 

Nevertheless,  the  lovers  were  parted,  and 
Guilia  was  confined  in  the  conventual  tortress, 
and  carefully  guarded.  Pope  Paul,  it  appears,  did 
not  relax  the  imprisonment  of  the  unfortunate 
girl,  as  he  surely  ought  to  have  done,  in  recogni- 
tion of  the  Cardinal's  successful  advocacy  of  his 
own  advancement. 

Naturally,  poor  Guilia  pined  and  pined  for  her 
lover  with  whom,  she  was  of  course  forbidden  to 
correspond.  At  length  her  health  gave  way,  and 
she  appealed  to  her  father  to  obtain  just  one 
interview  with  Ippolito  before  she  died.  Re- 
luctantly permission  was  given  by  the  Pope,  and 
Ippolito,  after  the  completion  of  his  diplomatic 
duties  in  Naples,  sought  the  neighbourhood  of  his 
innaniorata ;  ostensibly  upon  the  plea  that  his 
health  needed  the  rest  and  change  which  the 
invigorating  air  of  the  Foresteria,  a  sanatorium 
at  Itri,  offered. 

Among  Guilia's  attendants  was  an  old  retainer 
of  Alessandro  de'  Medici,  still  devoted  to  his 
service,  and  mindful  of  youthful  escapades 
together  at  the  Vatican.  Him  Alessandro  per- 
suaded, by  means  of  a  heavy  bribe  and  the 
promise  of  efficient  protection,  to  undertake  the 
removal   of   Ippolito.     Whilst   dallying  with    his 

87 


The  Traoredies  of  the   Medici 

former  mistress,  the  Cardinal  fell  ill  of  malarial 
fever,  common  in  the  swampy  plain  of  Garigliano, 
where  he  had  gone  shooting  snipe. 

Giovanni  Andrea  da  Borgo  San  Sepolcro,  the 
accomplice  of  his  master,  prepared  some  chicken 
broth,  which  he  persuaded  Ippolito  to  take.  In 
spite  of  its  bitter  taste  he  partook  largely,  but 
during  the  night  he  was  attacked  with  immoderate 
sickness.  Before  morning  dawn  the  brilliant 
career  of  Ippolito,  Cardinal  de'  Medici,  ended,  and 
the  harvest  sun  of  loth  August  1535  rose  upon 
his  rigid  corpse  in  Guilia's  chamber ! 

The  poisoner  fled  to  Florence,  and  was  lodged 
safely  in  the  Palazzo  Medici,  under  the  Duke's 
special  protection.  Alessandro  received  the  news 
of  Ippolito's  death  with  the  utmost  satisfaction. 
"Now,"  said  he,  "the  vile  wasp  is  crushed  at 
last !  "  The  dead  body  of  his  victim  was  buried 
hurriedly  at  Itri,  but,  by  Pope  Paul's  direction,  it 
was  exhumed  and  given  honourable  burial  within 
the  church  of  San  Lorenzo-e-Damaso  in  Rome. 
Paul  lamented  the  tragedy  which  had  removed 
his  friend  so  cruelly,  and  he  boldly  accused 
Alessandro  of  having  brought  it  about. 

No  one  died  more  regretted.  All  Rome  was 
in  deepest  mourning,  and  great  and  small  thronged 
to  his  burial.  He  had  played  the  part  of  Lord 
Bountiful  ungrudgingly  and  with  indiscriminating 
liberality.  Very  fittingly  it  was  remarked  that  he 
bore  as  his  motto  ''Inter  omnesy  He  had  all 
the  making  of  a  great  man,  but  fickleness,  incon- 

88 


ALESSANDRO   DE'   MEDICI. 
l''ifst  Dtikt  oi  Florence,     (Giorgio  Vasari). 

UFFIZl    GALLERY,    FLORENCE. 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

sistency,  impatience,  and  self-indulgence,  be- 
littled his  reputation.  Nevertheless,  his  character 
shone  resplendently  when  contrasted  with  that  of 
his  rival  Alessandro. 

Ippolito  de'  Medici  left  a  son  by  his  mistress, 
Asdrubale,  who  became  a  soldier  and  a  knight  of 
Malta. 

Neither  Pope  nor  Emperor  made  any  very 
energetic  protests  to  Alessandro,  but  were  busy 
with  anxious  personal  enterprises  —  and  self- 
interests  usually  exclude  any  other.  True, 
Charles  wrote  to  the  Duke  and  questioned  him 
about  the  death  of  Ippolito,  and  required  that  all 
the  facts  of  the  case  should  be  laid  before  him, 
but  the  matter  ended  there.  Alessandro  made 
no  reply ! 

In  six  months  the  sensation  had  blown  over, 
and  the  Emperor  visited  Florence  in  gorgeous 
State  on  24th  April.  He  was  royally  entertained 
by  Alessandro,  but  he  made  no  friends  among 
the  nobles,  and  departed  without  bestowing  the 
usual  honours.  The  Medici  Palace  had  been  re- 
decorated, and  it  witnessed  a  revival  of  the  lavish 
hospitality  of  Lorenzo  il  Magnifico. 

Margaret  of  Austria  entered  the  city  for  her 
marriage  with  Alessandro  on  19th  July  1536. 
She  came  from  Naples  accompanied  by  the  Vice- 
Oueen  and  Cardinals  vSanti  Quattro  and  Cibo. 
The  nuptial  Mass  was  sung  at  San  Lorenzo,  and 
then  the  whole  city  was  given  over  to  feasting 
and    debauchery.      "  The    young    Duchess    was 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

serenely  happy,  for  the  Duke  paid  her  great 
court,  and  she  knew  not  that  he  paid  as  much  to 
other  women  of  all  grades  !  "  Banquets,  masked 
balls,  street  pageants,  Giostre,  and  musical 
comedies  crowded  one  upon  another. 

Among  the  wedding  guests  was  Lorenzo  di 
Pierfrancesco  de'  Medici,  who  held  the  Lordship 
of  Piombino,  the  lineal  descendant  and  heir 
of  Cosimo,  "//  Padre  delta  Patrids''  brother 
Lorenzo.  His  father  died  when  he  was  an 
infant,  but  his  mother,  Maria  de'  Soderini — a 
woman  possessed  of  all  the  prudence  and  culture 
of  her  family — devoted  herself  to  his  rearing  and 
education.  Just  twenty-three  years  old,  he  was 
small  of  stature  and  slightly  built,  dark  com- 
plexioned,  and  of  a  melancholy  aspect.  His 
health  was  indifferent,  and  he  was  liable  to  un- 
controllable fits  of  passion  :  he  was  restless  and 
dissatisfied,  and  the  associate  of  low  and  evil 
companions. 

In  Rome — -where  he  had  lived  in  the  Medici 
"happy  family"  of  the  Pope — he  acquired  the 
reputation  of  a  coward  and  a  provoker  of  disturb- 
ances. He  was  fond  of  defacing^  and  mutilatine 
ancient  monuments,  and  became  liable  to  pains 
and  penalties  from  which  Cardinal  Ippolito  rescued 
him.  By  his  depraved  and  foolish  habits  he 
greatly  incensed  Clement,  who  at  length  dismissed 
him  in  disgrace.  Lorenzo  retired  to  Florence, 
where  he  was  welcomed  and  entertained  by 
Alessandro. 

90 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

In  return  for  favours  Lorenzo,  nicknamed 
in  Florence  '' Lorenzino,''  "Lorenzo  the  Little," 
became  useful  to  the  Duke  and  appointed  himself 
spy-in-chief  of  the  Florentine  exiles.  His  studious 
character  and  his  literary  talent  endowed  him 
with  another  and  a  worthier  sobriquet  ''  Filosofo" 
and  he  carried  out  the  role  by  dressing  as  a  Greek 
and  living  as  a  sybarite.  Devoted  to  the  study 
of  the  classics  and  encouraged  by  his  sensuous 
tutor,  Giovanni  Francesco  Zeffi,  when  not  en- 
gaged in  vulgar  orgies,  he  translated  Plato  and 
other  writers,  and  even  composed  a  comedy,  which 
he  called  L' Aridosio. 

Lorenzino  entered  fully  into  the  Duke's  life  of 
profligacy  and  became  his  inseparable  companion. 
Both  of  them  admired  physical  charms  and  in- 
dulged in  all  physical  passions  :  they  set  a  base 
fashion  in  Florence,  which  degraded  her  men  and 
women.  They  habitually  made  lewd  jokes  of 
everything  human  and  divine,  and  were  noted  for 
their  cruelty  to  animals.  If  Alessandro  became 
execrated  as  "The  Tyrant  and  Ravisher  of 
Florence,"  Lorenzino  was  scouted  as  "  A  monster 
and  a  miracle,"  and  his  depreciative  nickname 
underwent  a  new  spelling — ''  Lorenzaccio,'' — 
"  Lorenzo  the  Terrible !  " 

Satiety  of  excesses  produced  a  revulsion  of 
feelinof  between  the  two  debauchees.  Alessandro 
began  to  show  irritation  at  his  companion's  freedom. 
The  latter  refused  to  be  corrected,  and  into  his 

91 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

mind  came  once  more  the  inspiration  of  classical 
heroes  of  liberty  and  foes  of  oppression.  Why 
should  he  not  be  a  Florentine  "  Brutus,"  and  have 
his  name  engraved  upon  the  pinnacle  of  fame  as 
the  "  Saviour  of  his  Country  !  "  Lorenzino  studied 
and  studied  well  the  part  he  now  set  himself  to 
play. 

Not  a  word  did  he  breathe  to  man  or  woman 
of  what  was  paramount  in  his  mind,  and  he  made 
not  the  slightest  difference  in  his  intercourse  with 
Alessandro — indeed,  he  drew  himself  to  him  more 
intimately  than  ever.  The  Carnival  of  1536  saw 
the  maddest  of  all  mad  scenes,  and  everything  and 
everybody  ran  wild  riot.  Disguised  as  country 
minstrels  and  mounted  upon  broken-down  don- 
keys, the  two  comrades  rode  about  the  city,  paying 
visits  to  their  various  mistresses  and  flatterers,  and 
playing  practical  jokes  upon  the  respectable  citizens 
they  encountered. 

Returning  one  evening,  weary  with  their  follies, 
they  supped  together  at  the  Palazzo  Medici,  and 
then  Lorenzino  inquired  how  they  were  to  spend 
the  night. 

"  I  shall  go  to  bed,"  replied  Alessandro,  "  for 
I  am  worn  out." 

"  Caterina  .-*  "  whispered  Lorenzino. 

Alessandro  rose  abruptly  and  said,  "  Lead  on, 
Lorenzo,  I  will  follow." 

Seeing  his  valet  and  confidant,  Guistiniano 
da  Sesena,  he  said  :  "  We  are  going  to  Signore 
Lorenzino's,  but  what  shall  I  put  on  ?  " 

92 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Guistiniano  handed  him  a  crimson  silk  dressing- 
gown,  and  asked  him  whether  he  would  wear  his 
sword  and  steel  gauntlets,  or  whether  his  cane 
and  his  scented  kid  gloves  would  not  be  more 
suitable. 

"  Yes,"  the  Duke  replied,  "  toss  me  over  my 
lovers'  gloves,  for  I  am  about  to  see  my  lady ! " 

Snatching  a  cloak,  lined  with  fur,  and  grasping 
a  light  sword  in  his  hand,  Alessandro  left  the 
palace  by  the  garden  wicket,  followed  by  his  valet 
and  two  secret  guards,  Giomo  da  Carpi,  and  an 
Hungarian  wrestler  nicknamed  "  Bobo." 

Meanwhile  Lorenzino  had  sought  the  street, 
and  at  the  corner  he  found  his  usual  attendant, 
Michaele  del  Tovallaccino,  a  soldier  possessed  of 
a  splendid  physique,  combining  the  soft  contour  of 
Apollo  and  the  brute  force  of  Hercules.  His 
comrades  called  him  "  Scoronconcolo,"  on  account 
of  his  wild,  lustful  nature.  "He  could  kiss  and 
bite,"  they  said,  "  at  the  same  time  !  " 

"  Michaele,"  said  Lorenzino,  "  I  want  you  to 
kill  the  man  who  is  my  greatest  enemy." 

"  My  lord,"  replied  the  ruffian,  "  I  am  at  your 
service.  Tell  me  the  name  of  the  fellow  who  has 
wronged  you  and  I  will  kill  him  right  off  I  would 
kill  Jesus  Christ  himself  if  he  hated  you !  " 

"  Stay  at  your  post  and  I  will  return  for  you 
presently,"  said  Lorenzino,  going  on  to  his  own 
house  across  the  way. 

In  the  Piazza  San  Marco  he  overtook  Ales- 
sandro, who  dismissed  his  attendants,  and  went 

93 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

on  alone  with  his  cousin.  In  Lorenzino's  chamber 
was  a  good  fire,  and  Alessandro,  complaining  of 
the  heat,  loosened  his  attire  and  removed  his 
sword,  handing  it  to  Lorenzino,  who  defdy  en- 
tangled the  sash  and  belt  in  the  hilt  and  placed  it 
upon  the  bed. 

"Where  is  Caterina?"  inquired  the  Duke. 
"  Why  is  she  not  here  ?  " 

"  She  is  quite  ready,"  was  the  reply,  "  and 
only  awaits  me  to  conduct  her  hither." 

"  Go  at  once  and  delay  not !  "  cried  Alessandro. 

Locking  the  door  from  without,  and  putting 
the  key  in  his  pocket,  Lorenzino  hastened  to 
Michaele. 

This  "  Caterina "  was  Caterina  Ginori, 
Lorenzino's  mother's  sister.  Forced  by  her  father, 
Paolo  d'Antonio  de'  Soderini,  to  renounce  her  lover, 
Luigi  degli  Alamanni,  and  to  marry  Leonardo  de' 
Ginori — a  disreputable  spendthrift  and  gambler, 
who  fled  to  Naples  to  escape  his  creditors — she 
attracted  the  notice  of  Duke  Alessandro.  She 
was  as  accomplished  as  she  was  beautiful  and 
very  commanding  in  appearance,  the  mother  of 
Bartolommeo,  the  giant  manhood  model  of 
Giovanni  da  Bologna  for  his  famous  "Youth, 
Manhood,  and  Age,"  miscalled  "The  Rape  of  the 
Sabines,"  in  the  Loggia  de'  Lanzi. 

At  the  rendezvous  Lorenzino  slapped  Michaele 
upon  the  shoulder.  "Brother,"  he  said,  "the 
moment  has  arrived.  I  have  locked  my  enemy 
in  my  room.     Come  on,  now  is  your  opportunity." 

94 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

"  March !  "  was  the  ruffian's  terse  reply. 

"  Don't  fear  to  strike,"  said  Lorenzino,  as 
they  strode  on  side  by  side.  "  Strike  hard,  and 
if  the  man  should  seek  to  defend  himself,  strike 
still  harder.      I  trust  you." 

"  Never  you  fear,  my  lord,  were  the  man 
to  swear  he  was  the  Duke  or  the  Devil,  it  matters 
not.      Strike  I  will,  and  hard." 

Mounting  the  stairs  quietly,  Lorenzino  opened 
the  door  of  his  apartment  softly,  and  there  lay 
Alessandro,  fast  asleep  upon  the  bed,  with  his 
face  to  the  wall.  Coward,  as  he  was  wont  to  call 
himself,  he  no  longer  feared  to  slay  the  "Tyrant 
of  his  People,"  but  whipping  out  his  sword,  not 
waiting  for  Michaele's  attack,  he  thrust  it  right 
through  the  Duke's  back ! 

With  a  frantic  yell  Alessandro  stumbled  upon 
the  floor.  "  Traitor !  assassin  !  "  he  screamed. 
Then,  turning  his  eyes  full  upon  Lorenzino,  he 
faintly  added  :   "  This  from  thee — my  lover !  " 

Alessandro  made  as  though  to  defend  himself, 
and  with  the  red  blood  gushing  from  his  back,  he 
threw  himself  upon  his  murderer  and  they  struggled 
on  the  floor. 

Michaele  was  powerless  to  strike  :  his  weapon 
might  have  slashed  his  master.  Alessandro,  with 
dying  energy,  seized  the  hand  of  Lorenzino  and 
bit  two  of  his  fingers  to  the  bone,  so  that  the 
miscreant  yelled  with  agony.  Then  they  parted 
— Lorenzino  to  bind  up  his  broken  bones  and 
Alessandro  to  staunch  his  wound. 

95 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

"At  him,"  cried  the  madman,  and  Michaele 
struck  at  him  with  his  sword,  cutting  off  his  right 
cheek  and  his  nose,  and  then  he  got  his  dagger 
at  his  throat,  and  turned  it  round  in  the  gaping 
wound,  until  he  nearly  decapitated  his  unhappy 
victim.     Aoain    Lorenzino   heaved   at    him  with 

o 

his  reeking  weapon  and  fell  upon  him,  covering 
himself  with  blood,  and  bit  his  face  in  savage  rage  ! 
Alessandro  fell  away  and  lay,  breathing  heavily 
in  a  fearsome  heap.  Then  Lorenzino,  chuckling 
with  fiendish  glee,  roared  out,  "  See,  Michaele, 
my  brother,  the  wretch  is  dead  !  " 

Raising  the  body  of  the  still  breathing  Duke, 
his  murderers  threw  it  upon  the  bed  and  covered 
it  with  the  sheets.  Then  Lorenzino  opened  a 
window  and  looked  out  upon  the  Via  Larga,  to  see 
if  anybody  was  about.  Not  a  soul  was  there. 
It  was  early  morning,  and  by  the  new  light  of 
day  he  tore  off  a  piece  of  paper  and  scribbled 
upon  it,  with  Alessandro's  blood,  "  Vincit  amor 
patrice  landjiinque  imniensa  cupido,''  and  pinned 
it  over  Alessandro's  heart ! 

Both  he  and  Michaele  washed  their  hands  and 
their  swords — their  clothes  they  could  not  cleanse 
— and  Lorenzino,  having  filled  his  pouch  with  the 
money  and  jewels  he  possessed,  they  picked  up 
their  cloaks  and  hats,  and,  locking  the  door 
behind  them,  departed.  In  the  basement  they 
encountered  Fiaccio,  Lorenzino's  faithful  body- 
servant,  groom  and  valet  combined,  and  he  was 
bidden  to  follow  his  master. 

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The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

The  three  made  their  way  with  haste  to  the 
residence  of  Bishop  Angelo  Marzi,  the  chief 
custodian  of  the  City  Gates,  of  whom  Lorenzino 
demanded  post-horses,  showing  to  the  servant 
Alessandro's  signet-ring,  which  he  had  pulled  off 
his  victim's  finger.  The  Bishop  made  no  demur, 
being  well  accustomed  to  the  erratic  ways  of  the 
cousins.  They  took  the  road  to  Bologna,  where 
Lorenzino  had  the  two  broken  fingers  removed, 
and  his  hand  dressed,  and  then  on  they  posted 
without  further  halt. 

Lorenzino  made  at  once  for  the  house  of 
Filippo  negli  Strozzi,  the  leader  of  the  exiled 
Florentines  in  that  city,  and  rousing  him  from  his 
slumbers,  embraced  him  with  emotion,  and  said : 
"  See,  this  is  the  key  of  the  chamber  where  lies 
the  body  of  Alessandro.  I  have  slain  him.  Look 
at  my  clothes,  this  blood  is  his,  no  more  shall 
Florence  suffer  at  his  hands.  Revenge  is  sweet, 
but  freedom  is  sweeter !  " 

Filippo  could  scarcely  believe  the  glad  tidings, 
and  surveyed  his  visitor  from  head  to  foot. 
Lorenzino,  noting  his  hesitation,  called  Michaele 
into  the  room  crying,  "  Here  is  Scoronconcolo  the 
Assassin,  and  I  am  Lorenzaccio  the  Terrible ! " 

"Thou  art  our  Brutus,  my  Lord  Lorenzino!" 
exclaimed  Filippo,  with  tears  running  down  his 
cheeks.  "  Tarry  awhile,  till  I  can  summon  our  chief 
allies,  and  rest  yourselves.     Bravo !    Bravissimo !  " 

Next  day  alarm   spread  through  the  Medici 
Palace  when  the  Duke  failed  to  make  his  appear- 
G  97 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

ance,  especially  as  at  noon  he  had  summoned  a 
meetinof  of  his  new  Grand  Council  of  Two 
Hundred.  No  one  knew  where  he  had  gone. 
Lorenzino  was  gone  too,  at  least  he  did  not  make 
his  usual  early  morning  call.  All  the  houses  of 
their  mistresses  and  other  boon-companions  were 
searched  in  vain,  but  apparently  no  one  dreamt 
of  calling  at  Lorenzino's,  across  the  way.  Prob- 
ably, it  was  thought,  the  two  had  gone  off  to 
Cafoofainolo — their  favourite  haunt. 

Madonna  Maria,  Messer  Jacopo  de'  Salviati's 
daughter,  the  widow  of  Giovanni  de'  Medici, 
"delle  Bande  Nere,"  who  resided  near  Lorenzino, 
certainly  heard  loud  cries  which  terrified  her,  but 
it  was  not  an  unusual  occurrence.  Lorenzino  had, 
in  his  villainous  scheme,  devised  a  cunning  decoy 
to  accustom  neighbours  and  passers-by  to  noisy 
behaviour.  He  had  repeatedly  gathered  in  his 
house  groups  of  young  men  with  swords,  whom 
he  instructed  to  cross  their  weapons  as  in  serious 
self-defence,  and  to  cry  out  "  Murder !  "  "  Help !  " 
and  such  like. 

The  first  intimation  of  the  tragedy  was 
furnished  by  Lorenzino's  porter,  who  kept  his 
keys — that  of  the  bedchamber  was  missing  and 
the  door  was  locked  !  The  man  sought  an  inter- 
view with  Cardinal  Cibo,  then  in  Florence,  and 
his  former  master,  and  told  him  his  fears.  The 
door  was,  by  his  order,  forced  and  then,  of  course, 
the  terrible  truth  was  made  clear. 

Under  the  pain  of  losing  their  heads,  the 
98 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

Cardinal  commanded  absolute  secrecy  on  the  part 
of  the  domestics  and  guards  who  had  looked 
upon  that  gruesome  corpse.  At  the  same  time 
he  ordered  the  game  of  "  Saracino  "  to  be  played 
in  the  Piazza  close  by,  to  remove  the  fears  of  a 
fast  oratherinof  crowd  of  citizens.  When  asked 
if  he  knew  where  the  Duke  was,  he  replied  quite 
casually :  "  Oh,  don't  worry  about  the  Duke, 
he's  in  bed  of  course,  sleeping  off  the  effects  of 
last  night's  conviviality.  He'll  appear  when  he 
thinks  fit.     Go  away  and  mind  your  own  affairs." 

Somehow  or  another  at  last  the  news  leaked 
out  that  Alessandro  was  dead,  and  that  Lorenzino 
had  killed  him.  Cardinal  Cibo  convened  the 
Council  of  Forty-eight  to  discuss  the  situation. 
To  him  full  powers  were  accorded  to  administer 
the  government  for  three  days,  until  a  settlement 
was  reached.  This  decision  was  most  unpopular 
with  the  citizens,  who  began  to  rise  in  opposition. 

Just  when  another  bloody  revolution  seemed 
imminent,  Cosimo  de'  Medici,  the  young  son  of 
Giovanni  "delle  Bande  Nere,"  rode  into  the  city, 
accompanied  by  a  few  of  his  friends.  Everywhere 
he  was  hailed  with  enthusiastic  cries — "  Evviva  il 
Giovanni  e  il  Cositnoy 

The  young  Duchess  Margaret  fled  precipi- 
tately from  the  Via  Larga  to  the  fortress  of  San 
Giovanni,  which  Alessandro  had  only  just  built 
and  fortified.  With  her  went  three  young 
children — not  her  own  indeed,  for  she  had  proved 
to   be    barren, — but    children    she    found    in   her 

99 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

husband's  house.  By  Florentine  law  they  were 
recognised  as  belonging  to  the  family,  and  no  one 
troubled  about  their  precise  origin. 

These  little  ones  were  probably  the  issue  of  the 
Duke  by  a  handsome  contadina  employed  in  the 
palace,  who  went  by  the  name  of  Anna  da  Massa. 
Francesco  Guicciardini,  however,  says  she  was 
the  Marchesa  da  Massa,  a  noble  lady,  one  of 
Alessandro's  chief  favourites.  Giulio,  some  five 
years  old,  became  a  soldier,  and  died  Prior  of  the 
new  military  Order  of  St  Stephen  of  Pisa ; 
Porczia  died  an  enclosed  nun  in  Rome  ;  and  Giulia 
married  Francesco  de'  Barthelemmi. 

Margaret  herself  married  Ottavio  Farnese, 
Prince  of  Nepi  and  Camerino,  a  lad  of  sixteen 
years  of  age,  and,  a  second  time,  being  left  a 
widow,  she  espoused  the  Duke  of  Parma,  and 
died  in  1586 — fifty  years  after  her  ill-starred 
marriage  with  Alessandro  de'  Medici. 

It  was  reputed  that  shortly  before  his  assassina- 
tion, a  Greek  soothsayer  one  day  stopped  the 
Duke's  cortege  in  the  street,  and  cried  out,  so 
that  all  might  hear:  "Alessandro,  Duke  of 
Florence,  thou  shalt  be  slain  by  a  relative,  a  thin 
man,  small  of  stature,  and  dark  of  countenance. 
He  will  have  one  accomplice.      Beware  !  " 

As  for  Lorenzino,  whilst  no  action  was  taken 
publicly  in  Florence  against  him — for,  secretly 
all  men,  and  openly  the  majority,  praised  his  act 
— there  was  a  party  whose  members  were  sworn 
to  avenge  Alessandro's  blood.     They  enlisted  a 

100 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

service  of  irreconcilables  to  track  the  murderer  to 
his  death. 

For  eleven  long  years  Lorenzino  traversed 
land  and  sea,  pursued,  not  only  by  relentless  foes, 
but  tormented  by  an  accusing  conscience.  He 
was  no  Brutus  to  himself,  but  relapsed  once  more 
into  a  craven,  stalking  coward.  At  length  retribu- 
tion overtook  him,  for  two  soldiers,  devoted  to 
Alessandro's  memory,  hunted  him  down  in  the 
waterways  of  Venice,  to  which  he  had  returned. 
One  day,  in  May  1548,  Bedo  da  Volterra  and 
Cecchino  da  Bibonna  caught  him  by  the  Rialto, 
unattended  and  unarmed,  and  their  daggers  did 
the  work  as  effectively  for  him  as  did  his  sword 
for  Duke  Alessandro ! 

What  became  of  Lorenzino's  body  nobody 
knew  and  nobody  cared,  probably  it  was  tossed  by 
his  assassins  into  the  Grand  Canal,  and  being 
washed  out  into  the  sea,  will  await  that  day  when 
the  deep  shall  yield  up  all  that  is  therein. 

Some  authorities  state  that  a  reward  of  ten 
thousand  gold  florins  was  offered  for  his  head,  that 
his  effigy  was  burnt  with  every  mark  of  opprobrium 
in  the  Piazza  della  Signoria,  and  that  the  rabble 
pulled  his  house  down  and  burnt  out  the  site. 


lOI 


CHAPTER  III 

Maria,  Giovanni,  and  Garzia. 

A  Fathers  Vengeance 

"  I  WILL  have  no  Cain  in  my  family ! "  roared  out 
Cosimo  de'  Medici  — "//  Giovane,''  Duke  of 
Florence,  in  the  forest  of  Rosignano. 

"  A  Medico  of  the  Medici,"  prompt  in  action 
and  suave  in  repose,  his  hand  flew  to  his  sword 
hilt,  and  the  cruel,  cold  steel  of  a  father's  wrath 
flashed  in  the  face  of  Heaven  !  Duchess  Eleanora 
made  one  swift  step  forward,  intent  upon  shielding 
her  child,  but  she  stood  there  transfixed  with 
horror — her  arms  and  hands  outstretched  to  the 
wide  horizon  in  silent  supplication,  her  tongue 
paralysed ! 

The  kneeling  boy  grasped  his  father's  knees, 
weeping  piteously,  and  crying  aloud  in  vain  for 
mercy.  Thrusting  him  from  him,  and  spurning 
him  with  his  heavy  hunting-boot,  he  plunged 
furiously  his  gleaming  blade  into  his  son's  breast, 
until  the  point  came  out  between  his  shoulder- 
blades  ! 

With  one  expiring  yell  of  agony  and  terror, 
Garzia  de'  Medici  yielded  up  his  fair  young  life, 
the  victim  of  inexorable  fate. 

I02 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

It  was  high  moon,  and  the  watchful  stars,  of 
course,  could  not  behold  the  gruesome  deed,  but 
over  the  autumn  sun  was  drawn  a  grey  purple 
mist,  and  gloom  settled  upon  the  Maremma.  And 
as  the  elements  paled  and  were  silent,  a  hush 
overspread  wild  nature,  not  a  beast  in  the  thicket, 
not  a  bird  on  the  bough,  stirred.  Sighs  siffled 
through  the  bracken  and  the  heather,  and  the  roar 
of  the  distant  sea  died  away  in  moaning  at  the  bar. 

With  a  suffocating  sob,  as  though  stabbed  to 
death  herself,  the  Duchess  swooned  upon  the 
ground,  and,  whilst  the  courtiers  in  the  company 
hastened  to  her  assistance,  the  huntsmen  rever- 
ently covered  the  still  quivering  body  of  the  young 
prince  with  their  embroidered  livery  cloaks. 

Not  much  more  than  a  mile  away  another 
corpse  was  being  gently  borne  by  tender  loving 
hands — it  was  Giovanni's,  Garzia's  elder  brother, 
the  young  Cardinal. 

Giovanni  de'  Medici  was  dead — Garzia  was 
dead  ;  and  two  virgin  souls  were  winging  their 
flight  to  join  their  murdered  sister  Maria  in  the 
Paradise  of  Peace, 

Cosimo,  Duke  of  Florence,  was  the  son  of 
Giovanni  de'  Medici — called  "■  delle  Bande  Nere^' 
and  Maria  de'  Salviati.  Born  in  1498,  at  Forli, 
Giovanni — also  known  as  "  Giovannino^  to  distin- 
guish him  from  his  father  Giovanni,  "  //  Popolano  " 
— was  destined  from  his  cradle  to  a  military 
career.      With   such  a    mother  as   Caterina,   the 

103 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

natural  daughter  of  Galeazzo  Maria  Sforza,  Duke 
of  Milan,  he  was  bound  to  acquire  with  her  milk 
the  instincts  of  a  pushful  personality. 

Pope  Leo  X.,  who  was  a  Florentine  of  the 
Florentines,  extended  his  zealous  patronage  to 
the  rearing  and  the  training  of  his  youthful  relative. 
If  not  a  caster  of  horoscopes,  he  was  a  reader 
of  character,  and,  son  as  he  was  of  Lorenzo  "II 
Magnifico,"  he  foresaw  a  future  for  "  Giovannino" 
fraught  with  immense  importance  to  his  family 
and  his  native  city. 

After  receiving  his  early  training  as  a  soldier 
in  Rome,  attached  to  the  staff  of  one  or  other  of 
the  Condottieri,  young  Giovanni  was  appointed 
to  a  military  command  with  the  Papal  army  in 
Lombardy,  when  he  was  little  more  than  out  of 
his  teens.  His  splendid  physique  and  his  prowess 
in  friendly  encounter,  revealed  the  lion  that  was 
in  him.  The  leader  in  all  boyish  pranks  and 
rivalries,  he  displayed  intrepid  courage  and  unfail- 
ing resourcefulness  when  called  upon  to  prove 
his  metal.  To  strike  quickly  and  to  strike  hard, 
he  knew  very  well  meant  the  battle  half  won — 
hence  there  was  added  to  his  sobriquet  two 
significant  appellations — '' L' Invincible''  and  "// 
Grail  Diabolo  !  " 

The  troops  under  his  command  were,  as  was 
the  rule  in  the  Papal  armies,  composed  of  motley 
companies  of  alien  mercenaries  and  forced  levies, 
but,  in  addition,  very  many  soldiers  of  fortune, 
attracted    by    his    fame,    rallied    to    his    banner. 

1C4 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Very  soon  the  ''  Bande  Nere"  as  Giovanni's  force 
was  called,  gave  evidence  that  they  had  no  equals 
in  equipment  and  efficiency.  Their  leader  took 
as  his  models  the  infantry  of  Spain  and  the 
cavalry  of  Germany.  Each  man  wore  a  black 
silk  ribbon  badge,  and  each  lance  bore  its  black 
pennon — hence  the  '' Bande  Nere'' 

It  has  been  said  of  Mars,  the  God  of  War, 
that  he  was  susceptible  to  the  wiles  of  Venus, 
even  when  intent  on  deeds  of  daring,  so,  too,  was 
it  true  of  Condottiere  Giovanni  de'  Medici. 
Although  born  outside  the  "  City  of  the  Lily," 
and  the  child  of  a  non- Florentine  mother,  he  and 
his  were  always  on  terms  of  good  relationship 
with  the  gentle  Duke  Lorenzo.  His  associations 
with  Florence  were  of  the  closest  nature,  and 
"  Giovannino "  was  quite  content  to  look  for  his 
bride  among^  the  marriao^eable  maidens  there. 

With  an  ever  open  eye  to  a  goodly  marriage 
portion,  Messer  Giovanni  "//  Popolano"  viewed 
the  daughters  of  the  Salviati  with  approval. 
That  house  was  famous  for  its  financial  promin- 
ence —  rivalling  that  of  his  own,  and  Messer 
Giacopo's  three  girls  were  noted  for  good  looks 
and  clever  brains.  Whether  love,  or  money,  was 
the  magnet,  or  whether  the  two  ran  together  in 
double  harness,  young  ''  Giovanni?w''  took  tight 
hold  upon  the  reins,  and  he  and  Maria  Salviati 
were  betrothed  in  the  autumn  of  15 17. 

To  be   sure  there  was  a  difficulty  about  the 

new  marital  habitation,  for  a  soldier  upon  active 

105 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

service  has  no  settled  home.  Love,  however, 
knows  obstacles  only  to  overcome  them,  and  so, 
somehow  or  another,  the  young  Madonna  brought 
into  the  world,  one  wintry  day  in  February — it  was 
the  nineteenth — 15 19,  her  first-born,  a  son. 
Cosimo  they  christened  him,  perhaps  after  his 
great  ancestor  Cosimo  ''Padre  del/a  Patria'' — 
"  Cosimoninoy  When  mother  and  child  could  be 
moved  Giovanni  sent  them,  for  safety,  into  Flor- 
ence, where  they  were  lovingly  welcomed  by  her 
parents,  Messer  Giacopo  de'  Salviati  and  his 
wife  Lucrezia,  daughter  of  Lorenzo  il  Magnifico. 

Pope  Leo  X.,  who  had  in  his  heart  ambitious 
desires  for  the  predominance  of  his  House,  not 
alone  in  Tuscany  but  throughout  Italy,  regarded 
the  young  soldier  as  one  of  his  most  trusty 
lieutenants.  Designing,  as  he  did,  to  create 
Giuliano, — later  Duke  of  Nemours, — King  of 
Naples  and  Southern  Italy,  and  Lorenzo, — 
Duke  of  Urbino, — King  of  Lombardy  and 
Northern  Italy,  he  made  Giovanni  "delle  Bande 
Nere  "  Commandant  of  the  Papal  armies. 

Leo  spent  much  time  in  Florence,  having  the 
Condottiere  by  his  side,  and  using  him  as  an 
envoy, — first  to  the  King  of  France,  and,  then 
to  the  Emperor,  in  matrimonial  negotiations 
which  concerned  Giuliano  and  Lorenzo.  The 
imbroglio  about  the  Duchy  of  Milan  found  him 
at  the  head  of  the  Papal  contingent  of  the  Imperial 
army,  but  his  success  as  commander  was  checked 
by  a  disastrous  peace  concluded  by  the  Pope. 

106 


GIOVANNI    DE'    MEDICI. 

CaUed  "  DeUe  Bande  Nere."    (VcceUio  Tiziano.) 

UFFIZI    GALLERY,    FLORENCE, 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

The  early  years  of  young  Cosimo's  life  were 
critical  in  the  affairs  of  Tuscany  ;  a  fierce  struggle 
for  the  suzerainty  of  all  Italy  was  being  fought  out 
between  Francis  I.  and  Charles  V.  The  Pope, 
Clement  VII. — Cardinal  Giulio  de'  Medici — who 
had  succeeded  Adrian  VI,  in  1523,  sided  with 
either  party  as  suited  his  ambitions  best.  When 
favourable  to  the  French,  he  handed  over  one 
division  of  the  Papal  army  to  the  king,  who  con- 
firmed Condottiere  Giovanni  de'  Medici  in  his 
command. 

At  Borgoforte  he  was  shot  in  the  knee, 
and  again  at  Pavia,  where  Francis  was  routed 
and  taken  prisoner.  The  campaign  continued  and 
Giovanni  was  always  in  the  front  rank  of  battle 
until,  outside  Mantua,  he  was  mortally  wounded 
and  died  within  the  fortress,  on  30th  November, 
1526,  at  the  early  age  of  twenty-nine. 

An  interesting  little  story  concerns  the  first 
anniversary  of  Cosimo's  birth.  His  father 
dreamed,  on  the  eve  of  that  day,  that  he  saw 
his  son  asleep  in  his  cradle,  and  over  his  head  he 
beheld  a  royal  crown !  In  the  morning  he  did 
not  tell  Madonna  Maria  what  he  had  seen  in  the 
night-watches,  but  something  prompted  him  to 
test  the  will  of  Providence.  Accordingly  he  told 
his  wife  to  take  the  precious  little  babe  up  to  the 
balcony  on  the  second  floor  of  the  Palazzo  Salviati, 
in  the  Via  del  Corso. 

"Throw  down  the  child,"  he  cried  from  the 

street  below. 

107 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

The  Madonna  refused,  and  rated  her  husband 
for  his  madness,  but  he  insisted,  and  threatened 
so  vehemently,  that  at  last,  in  abject  terror,  she 
let  go  her  hold  of  her  babe.  The  boy  leaped 
from  her  arms  into  the  air,  and,  whilst  the  dis- 
tracted mother  uttered  a  wail  of  anguish,  Giovanni 
deftly  caught  his  little  son  in  his  arms.  The 
child  chortled  merrily,  as  if  enjoying  his  weird 
experience,  and,  inasmuch  as  he  never  so  much 
as  uttered  the  slightest  cry  of  fear,  the  intrepid 
Condottiere  felt  perfectly  reassured  as  to  the 
auspicious  presage  of  his  dream. 

"That's  all  right,"  he  exclaimed,  "  my  vision 
was  no  fantastic  picture — my  bonnie  boy  will  live 
to  be  a  prince — Prince  of  Florence  !  " 

Madonna  Maria,  left  so  young  a  widow — she 
was  only  twenty-five — consecrated  her  life  to  the 
care  of  her  young  son — ^just  eight  years  old — and, 
under  her  parental  roof  in  the  Via  del  Corso,  she 
engaged  some  of  the  best  teachers  of  the  day  to 
undertake  his  education.  Cosimonino's  aptitude 
for  military  affairs  and  his  taste  for  chemical 
studies  soon  made  themselves  apparent. 

But  the  doting  mother  had  a  secret  enemy, 
her  child's  enemy  indeed,  an  enemy  so  powerful, 
and  by  all  accounts  so  relentless,  that  her  life 
became  a  burden  in  her  efforts  to  shield  her  boy 
from  peril.  That  enemy  was  no  less  a  person 
than  the  Pope ! 

Clement,  of  course,  knew  very  well  of  the 
existence  of  Giovanni  delle  Bande  Nere's  son  and 

io8 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

heir,  and  whilst  he  hailed  the  death  of  the  father 
as  a  gain  for  his  personal  ambition,  he  feared 
the  life  of  his  child  would  peril  his  hopes  for 
Alessandro,  his  own  illegitimate  son.  Cosimo, 
Giovanni's  boy,  must  be  kept  out  of  the  way  at 
all  hazards,  and  Maria  the  widow  was  very  soon 
well  aware  of  the  Pope's  aims. 

By  every  means  in  his  power,  Clement  strove 
to  obtain  possession  of  little  Cosimo,  but  his 
mother  was  as  watchful  as  she  was  prudent,  and, 
till  her  boy  reached  his  twelfth  year,  she  never  let 
him  go  out  of  her  sight  and  keeping.  She  took 
him  away  to  remote  parts  of  Italy  with  trusty 
attendants,  that  the  Pope  might  not  discover 
their  whereabouts.  Then  she  chose  a  faithful 
friend  of  her  family,  Maestro  Pierfrancesco  Riccio 
da  Prato,  to  superintend  his  further  education.  I  f 
not  the  wisest  of  teachers,  he  was  admirable  for 
the  exact  discharge  of  his  duties  and  inculcated 
the  best  traditions  of  the  Medici. 

Together  tutor  and  pupil  visited  many  parts 
of  Central  Italy  and  spent  some  time  at  Venice, 
the  chief  subject  of  their  studies  being  the  heroic 
doings  of  the  ancient  Greeks  and  Romans.  This 
was  the  usual  curriculum  for  growing  boys,  and 
doubtless  its  observance  induced  that  admiration 
of  tyrannicide  which  marked  the  character  of  so 
many  young  Florentines, 

In  1523,  when  Clement  so  artfully  persuaded 
the  Florentine  ambassadors  to  request  the 
despatch    of    the     two    bastards,     Ippolito    and 

109 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Alessandro,  to  Florence,  the  only  man  who 
maintained  his  opposition  was  Messer  Giacopo 
de'  Salviati,  and  he  again  protested  in  person 
both  to  Clement  in  Rome  and  before  the 
Signoria  in  Florence,  against  the  creation  of 
Alessandro  as  Head  of  the  Republic.  Once 
more  this  "  loyal  citizen  "  withstood  the  bastard 
Duke,  when  he  put  his  hand  to  the  building  of 
the  fortress  of  San  Giovanni.  Naturally,  Messer 
Giacopo's  opposition  excited  the  animosity  of 
Alessandro,  who,  if  he  did  not  actually  inspire  his 
assassination,  was,  at  all  events,  privy  to  it. 

But  in  spite  of  all,  Cosimo  grew  and  flourished, 
displaying  his  father's  courage'  and  his  mother's 
prudence.  At  fifteen,  his  character  appeared  to 
be  already  formed.  He  was  grave  of  aspect  and 
severe  in  manner,  very  backward  in  forming 
friendships,  and  intolerant  of  familiarities. 

In  1536,  the  Emperor  Charles  and  his  court 
were  in  residence  at  Bologna,  and,  hearing  that 
young  Cosimo  de'  Medici  was  also  in  the  city, 
the  monarch  sent  for  him  and  received  him  with 
marked  cordiality.  Observing  the  young  man's 
bearing  and  evident  force  of  character,  Charles 
took  him  by  the  arm  and,  placing  his  hand  upon 
the  lad's  shoulder,  said  to  him :  "  You  are 
fortunate,  young  man,  to  have  had  for  your 
father  a  soldier  who  made  both  France  and 
Spain  tremble ! " 

Between  fifteen  and  eighteen  we  have  few 
records  of  Cosimo's  life  and  no  hint  as  to  where 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

he  was  during  the  terrible  years  of  tyranny  and 
debauchery  in  Florence.  Anyhow,  Duke  Ales- 
sandro  owed  him  no  kindness,  nor  did  he  enter 
into  any  relations  with  him.  What  dealings  he 
had  with  Lorenzino  and  Giuliano,  his  cousins,  are 
unknown.  They  were  nearer  the  succession  to 
the  ducal  throne  than  himself — indeed,  the  former 
was  regarded  as  next  heir  to  Alessandro.  In  all 
probability  the  young  man  lived  with  his  mother 
at  the  villa  at  Castello  which  had  belonged  to  his 
father,  and  kept  himself  very  much  out  of  sight. 

The  news  of  Duke  Alessandro's  assassination 
very  soon  got  about,  and  groups  of  citizens 
gathered  in  the  Via  Larga  and  also  in  the 
Piazza  del  Signoria.  Although  considerable  ex- 
citement pervaded  those  assemblages,  the  people 
remained  quiet  and  self-controlled.  "  Every- 
body," as  Benedetto  Varchi  has  recorded,  "spoke 
out  quite  fully,  as  though  no  one  doubted  but  that 
the  Greater  Council  of  the  city  would  at  once 
be  summoned.  They  debated  as  to  who  would 
be  chosen  Gonfaloniere,  and  whether  for  life  or 
not.  Meanwhile  the  Council  of  Forty-eight  had 
assembled  at  the  Medici  Palace  at  the  call  of  the 
Cardinal  (Cibo),  and  were  in  conference  in  the 
long  gallery  upstairs." 

Cardinal  Cibo  was  the  son  of  Maddalena  de' 
Medici,  Lorenzo  il  Magnifico's  eldest  daughter. 
He  with  Francesco  de'  Guicciardini  and  Francesco 
de'  Vettori  had  constituted  themselves,  in  a  sort 

III 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

of  way,  mentors  and  advisers  to  the  murdered 
Duke,  who  was  only  too  glad  to  free  himself  of 
some  of  the  distasteful  duties  of  State,  and  con- 
fide them  to  anyone  who  would  relieve  him  of 
them. 

As  for  a  successor  to  Alessandro,  the  Cardinal 
at  first  suggested  Giulio,  the  Duke's  bastard  son, 
a  child  of  eight  years  of  age.  The  Council 
scouted  the  idea  of  another  regency,  and  intimated 
plainly  their  intention  to  seek  an  adult  Head  of 
the  Government.  Full  powers  were  given  to  the 
triumvirate  to  carry  on  State  business  during  the 
interregnum — a  decision  which  greatly  displeased 
the  populace.  On  dispersing  from  the  conference 
the  councillors  were  greeted  with  derisive  cries — 
"If  you  cannot  make  up  your  minds,  we  must  do 
it  for  you !  " 

During  the  adjournment  the  Cardinal  and  his 
two  successors  took  counsel  with  the  Strozzi  and 
other  influential  men  in  and  beyond  Florence, 
and  called  to  their  aid  the  four  Florentine 
Cardinals,  Salviati,  Gaddi,  Pucci,  and  Ridolfi. 
Paul  III. — naturally  anxious  to  have  a  finger  in 
the  pie — despatched  Roberto  negli  Strozzi  with 
fifteen  hundred  mounted  men  to  hold  Monte- 
pulciano,  and  at  the  same  time  directed  the 
Cardinals  to  join  him  there.  The  Papal  nominee 
was  Giuliano,  younger  brother  of  Lorenzino,  the 
Duke's  murderer — ^an  entirely  impossible  choice. 

Madonna  Maria  de'  Medici  was  at  her  father's 
villa   at    Trebbio,    but   at   once    she   despatched 

112 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

couriers  to  hasten  her  son's  return  from  Bologna, 
whither  he  had  gone  for  study  and  for  pleasure. 
She  invited  Cibo  and  Guicciardini  to  meet  him, 
and  to  take  counsel  with  her  concerning  his  claims 
on  Florence.  Instructed  by  his  astute  mother, 
the  young  man  paid  great  court  to  the  two 
visitors,  and  charmed  them  exceedingly.  The 
Cardinal  was  at  once  converted  to  the  Madonna's 
views.  Both  he  and  Messer  Guicciardini  were 
struck  by  Cosimo's  appearance — tall,  well-made, 
and  good-looking,  he  had  a  manly  carriage,  and 
his  assured  yet  courteous  manner  left  nothing  to 
be  desired. 

On  the  three  councillors'  return  to  Florence, 
they  were  met  by  Senor  Ferrante  de  Silva,  Conte 
de  Cifuentes,  the  Spanish  ambassador,  who  was 
commanded  by  his  master  to  support  the  candida- 
ture of  Cosimo  de'  Medici. 

The  Emperor,  Charles  V.,  moreover,  sent 
Bernardino  da  Rieti  as  special  envoy,  to  enforce 
his  views  upon  the  "  Forty-eight,"  and  with  him 
went  a  force  of  two  thousand  Spanish  troops  from 
Lerici — where  they  were  in  garrison,  partly  with 
a  view  to  overawe  the  Council,  and  partly  for  the 
protection  of  the  widowed  Duchess  Margaret. 
It  was  concurrently  reported  that  the  Emperor 
had  another  project  in  view,  namely  to  marry 
his  daughter  to  young  Cosimo.  At  anyrate, 
Margaret  was  directed  to  remain  in  Florence 
and  at  the  Medici  Palace. 

Conferences    were   held    daily,    both    in    the 
H  113 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

Medici  Palace  and  in  the  Palazzo  Vecchio.  To 
Francesco  de'  Guicciardini  was  committed  the  duty 
of  formally  proposing  Cosimo — commonly  called 
"Cosimonino" — as  Head  of  the  State.  At  once 
Palla  de'  Rucellai  rose  in  opposition,  but  his  party 
in  the  Council  was  in  the  minority.  The  delibera- 
tions were  disturbed  by  the  entrance  of  the  French 
ambassador,  who  came  to  press  upon  their  lord- 
ships' attention  the  claims  of  little  Duchess 
Caterina,  Duke  Lorenzo's  only  legitimate  child. 
The  proposition  met  with  unanimous  disapproba- 
tion, and  fell  to  the  ground. 

Outside,  in  the  Piazza,  was  a  shouting,  strug- 
gling crowd  of  citizens,  something  unusual  was 
going  on,  and  the  cries  of  the  people  penetrated 
the  windows  of  the  Council  Chamber — ''  Evviva 
ilfiglio  di  Giovanni  delle  Bande  Nei^e  /"  "  Evviva 
il  Cosimonino r'  "■Evviva  Cosimo  il  Duca  di 
Firenze  !  " 

The  Council  rose  at  once,  without  coming  to 
a  decision,  but  each  member  of  it  understood 
the  import  of  that  cry,  and  each  was  quite  ready 
to  accept  the  popular  verdict.  As  they  regained 
the  street  they  saw  a  youthful  cavalier,  with 
a  small  mounted  retinue,  surrounded  by  an 
enthusiastic  crowd  of  citizens.  They  had  ridden 
fast  from  the  Mugello  and  were  covered  with 
dust. 

"  Signor  Cosimo,"  wrote  Benedetto  Varchi, 
"arrived  in  Florence  with  but  a  few  followers. 
As  the  son  of  Signor  Giovanni,  of  fair  aspect 

114 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

and  having  always  displayed  a  kindly  disposition 
and  a  good  understanding,  he  was  liked  greatly 
by  the  populace,  and  they  hailed  him  as  heir  to 
Duke  Alessandro,  with  marked  affection.  Affect- 
ing neither  grief  nor  joy,  he  rode  on  with  an  air 
of  serene  importance,  showing  rather  his  merit 
for  the  throne  than  his  wish  for  it.  Dismounting 
at  the  palace,  he  visited  Cardinal  Cibo,  and  ex- 
pressing his  regret  at  the  Duke's  sanguinary 
death,  went  on  to  say  that  like  a  good  son  of 
Florence  he  had  come  to  place  not  only  his 
fortunes  but  his  life  at  the  service  of  his  country." 
Cosimo  was  named  Head  of  the  State,  not 
Duke,  on  four  conditions  : — 

1.  To  render  justice  indifferently  to  rich  and 
poor. 

2.  Never  to  disagree  with  the  policy  of  the 
Emperor. 

3.  To  avenge  the  death  of  Duke  Alessandro. 

4.  To  treat  his  three  illegitimate  children  with 
kindness. 

Those  who  come  to  the  front  through  their 
own  genius  or  their  destiny,  upon  the  first  step  of 
the  throne  accept  the  conditions  of  their  appoint- 
ment, but,  upon  the  last  step,  they  commonly 
impose  their  own  upon  their  makers.  Conse- 
quently, although  but  a  youth  of  nineteen  years  of 
age  at  the  time  of  his  opportune  arrival  in  Flor- 
ence, Cosimo  at  once  showed  his  intention  of 
assuming  personally  and  untrammelled  the  govern- 
ment of  the  State.     Cardinal  Cibo  and  Francesco 

"5 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

de'  Guicciardini,  who  had  been  the  first  to  recognise 
not  only  his  claim  but  his  fitness  to  rule,  were 
very  tactfiilly  set  aside,  and  others,  who  might  be 
expected  to  assert  powers  of  direction  and  super- 
vision, were  quietly  assigned  to  positions  where 
they  could  not  interfere  with  his  freedom  of 
action. 

Within  six  months  of  his  acclamation  by  the 
people  as  "  Head  of  the  State,"  Cosimo  obtained 
from  the  Emperor  Charles  V.  the  full  recognition 
of  his  title  of  Duke  of  Florence. 

There  were  orreat  doino^s  at  the  Palazzo  Medici 
in  the  May  of  1539,  when  Cosimo  welcomed  his 
bride,  Donna  Eleanora,  second  daughter  of  Don 
Pedro  de  Toledo,  Duca  d'Alba,  the  King  of 
Spain's  Viceroy  at  Naples.  She  was  certainly  no 
beauty,  but  a  woman  of  estimable  qualities,  and 
profoundly  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  devotion. 
Hardly,  perhaps,  the  wife  Cosimo  would  have 
chosen,  had  not  reasons  of  State  as  usual  guided 
him.  Eleanora,  nevertheless,  proved  herself  a 
worthy  spouse  and  an  exemplary  mother. 

Within  the  palace  Eleanora  was  shocked  to 
find  a  little  child,  "La  Bza' — short  for  '' Bambina'" 
*'  Baby" — she  was  called,  some  two  years  old.  No 
one  seemed  to  know  quite  who  was  her  mother. 
Some  said  she  was  a  villaore  g-irl  of  Trebbio,  and 
others,  a  young  gentlewoman  of  Florence.  Only 
Cosimo's  mother,  Madonna  Maria,  knew,  and 
she  refused  to  reveal  the  girl's  identity,  but  she 
admitted   that    "La    Bia"    was    Cosimo's    child. 

116 


ELEANORA    DE'   MEDICI,  Consort  of  Cosimo,  first  Grand  Duke  of 

Tuscany,  with  her  son  Ferdinando. 

Angelo  Bronzino. 

UFFIZI    GALLERY,    FLORENXE. 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Eleanora  would  not  tolerate  her  presence  in  the 
palace,  so  Cosimo  sent  her  off  with  several 
attendants  to  the  Villa  del  Castello,  where,  per- 
haps fortunately,  she  died  on  the  last  day  of 
February  the  following  year. 

The  first  years  of  Cosimo's  government  were 
years  of  unrest  and  peril  throughout  Tuscany. 
The  adherents  of  the  dead  bastard  Duke  were 
neither  few  nor  uninfluential.  Encouraged  by  the 
Clementine  coterie  in  Rome,  the  members  of 
which  had  from  the  first  opposed  Cosimo's 
succession  to  the  Headship  of  the  Republic,  they 
made  the  Florentine  Court  a  hot-bed  of  intrigue 
and  strife. 

The  party,  not  inconsiderable,  which  supported 
the  claims  of  Giuliano,  younger  son  of  Pierfrancesco 
the  Younger,  and  brother  of  Lorenzino,  Alessandro's 
murderer,  gave  much  trouble.  Giuliano,  who  had 
been  an  associate  of  the  Duke  and  an  abettor  of 
Lorenzino's  "devilries,"  fled  precipitately  from 
Florence,  and  sought  the  protection  of  the  Duke 
of  Milan.  Lorenzino's  confession  was  written 
partly  with  a  view  of  removing  suspicion  from  his 
brother,  and  to  leave  unprejudiced  the  claims  of 
his  father's  family.  There  were  many  other 
cliques  and  parties,  great  and  small,  each  bent 
upon  the  other's  destruction  in  particular  and 
upon  the  undoing  of  the  Republic  in  general. 

By  far  the  most  formidable  opposition  to 
Cosimo's  rule  came  from  Venice,  whence  the 
Florentine  exiles,  under  the  command  of  Filippo 

117 


The  Tragredies  of  the  Medici 

o 

negli  Strozzi's  two  sons,  Piero  and  Roberto,  who 
had  married  Lorenzino's  sisters,  Laudomia  and 
Maddalena,  raised,  with  the  assistance  of  the 
King  of  France,  a  strong  force,  and  invaded 
Tuscany. 

It  needed  not  the  persuasion  of  Madonna 
Maria  to  urge  Cosimo  to  action,  although  her 
active  representations  to  the  Emperor — which 
obtained  the  Imperial  sanction  and  promise  of 
co-operation — were  important  factors  in  his  resolu- 
tion. Cosimo  gathered  together  what  men  he 
could  rely  upon  in  Florence,  and  when  once  his 
battle-banner  was  unfurled  with  the  black  pennon 
of  his  redoubtable  father,  numbers  of  old  cam- 
paigners hastened  to  his  support. 

On  31st  July,  1537,  the  opposing  forces  met 
in  the  valley  of  Montemurlo.  Cosimo  displayed 
much  of  the  daring  and  ability  of  his  father,  and 
victory  was  never  in  doubt.  The  Strozzi  and 
Baccio  Valori  were  taken  prisoners  to  Florence, 
bound  upon  broken-down  farm-horses,  and  their 
forces  were  dispersed.  It  was  reported  that  in 
the  heat  of  the  battle  Otto  da  Montanto,  an 
Imperial  officer,  riding  past  Cosimo,  lowered  the 
point  of  his  sword  as  he  shouted,  "  Forward, 
Signore,  to-day  the  fortunes  of  the  Emperor  and 
of  Cosimo  de'  Medici  will  prevail !  " 

Cosimo  wore  no  velvet  oloves  in  dealino'  with 

o  o 

his  enemies,  secret  and  pronounced.  Arrest,  con- 
fiscation,   torture,     banishment,     and     execution 

thinned    once    more    the    ranks    of    the    noblest 

118 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

families  of  Tuscany.  Filippo  negli  Strozzi,  who 
was  regarded  as  the  leader  of  the  anti-Cosimo 
party,  was  taken  prisoner  and  cast  into  the 
fortress  of  San  Giovanni.  Apparently  his  aim 
was  not  a  restoration  of  a  Papal  nominee  to  the 
Headship  of  the  State,  but  his  own  advancement 
to  that  position.  He  w^as  put  on  the  rack,  and 
eventually  done  to  death  by  Cosimo's  orders. 

The  years  1538,  1539  and  1540,  are  deeply 
dyed  with  the  blood  of  victims.  Florentine 
vengeance  again  proved  itself  satisfied  only  with 
wholesale  annihilation.  It  has  been  computed 
that  in  the  latter  year  alone,  nearly  five  hundred 
men  and  women,  chiefly  of  good  family  and  high 
distinction,  came  by  violent  deaths.  Of  these, 
one  hundred  and  forty-six  were  decapitated  by 
Cosimo's  express  orders ! 

Perhaps  "  The  Terror "  was  inevitable,  but 
it  revealed  in  a  lurid  light  the  revengeful  and 
implacable  temper  of  the  young  ruler.  If  he  had 
inherited,  through  many  generations,  the  craft 
and  pushfulness  of  the  Medicis,  he  had  also 
become  possessed  of  some  of  the  brutality  of  the 
Sforzas,  through  his  grandmother  Caterina, 
natural  daughter,  by  the  lovely  but  dissolute 
Lucrezia  Landriani,  of  Galeazzo  Maria,  Duke 
of  Milan.  This  prince  possessed  all  the  worst 
points  of  a  Renaissance  tyrant,  and  was  "  a  monster 
of  vices  and  virtues  "  :  perhaps  he  was  insane,  at 
all  events,  Caterina  was  accustomed  to  speak  of 
him  as  "  Uno  Fajitastico  T' 

119 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

There  was  at  least  one  ray  of  sunshine  in  that 
year  of  swift,  dark  deeds,  for,  in  less  than  a  month 
after  poor  little  ''La  Bia''  had  flown  back  to 
Heaven,  as  lovely  and  as  precious  a  gift  as  ever 
came  to  gladden  the  hearts  of  young  parents  was 
vouchsafed  to  Cosimo  and  Eleanora,  in  the  birth 
of  their  first-born,  a  girl. 

In  the  Rcgistri  dei  Battezzati  deW  Opera  di 
Santa  Maria  del  Fiore  is  the  following  record  : 
"On  April  13th,  1540,  was  baptised  a  female 
child  of  the  Duke  of  Cosimo,  born  on  the  third 
day  of  the  same  month,  and  she  was  registered 
in  the  name  of  Maria  Lucrezia."  Alas,  the  joy 
of  that  natal  day  was  marred  by  the  solicitude 
which  the  delicacy  of  the  frail  infant  caused  her 
father  and  mother.  No  one  thought  she  could 
live,  but  Duchess  Eleanora  was  a  tender  nurse, 
and  her  weaning  caused  the  cradle  to  rock  with 
hope  as  well  as  love. 

Just  twelve  months  later  a  baby  brother  came 
to  keep  little  Maria  company,  a  strong  and  vigor- 
ous boy,  dark-haired  and  sallow  like  his  Spanish 
mother.  He  was  christened  Francesco,  after 
the  patron  saint  of  his  day  of  birth.  Cosimo 
was  not  in  Florence  at  the  time,  he  had  gone 
to  pay  his  respects  to  the  Emperor  Charles  V. 
at  Genoa, 

The  object  of  his  visit  to  the  Imperial  Court 
was  to  thank  Charles  for  the  German  bodyguard 
of  Landesnechte  which  he  had  sent  to  Florence  to 
defend  the  Medici  Palace  and  its  inmates  durine 

120 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

the  three  years  of  disorder  and  repression,  and  to 
ask  for  an  extension  of  their  services. 

Florence  was  full  of  Spaniards  who  had  occu- 
pied Tuscany  in  force  under  the  Commendattore 
Raimondo  da  Cardona,  and  who  had  helped  in  the 
terrible  sack  of  Prato.  They  were  a  menace  to 
peace  and  order  in  the  city,  and  brawls  between 
them  and  the  citizens  were  of  daily  occurrence. 

Duchess  Eleanora  perhaps  naturally  held  with 
her  fellow-countrymen,  certainly  she  made  a  poor 
attempt  to  conceal  her  dislike  for  Florence  and  its 
people.  At  Santa  Maria  Novella  she  endowed  a 
chapel  for  Mass,  which  served  as  a  rallying-point 
for  the  foreigners,  and  acquired  thereby  its  name, 
Cappella  degli  Spagnuoli. 

The  Duchess  had,  however,  other  than  quasi- 
patriotic  duties  to  perform,  for,  in  1542,  she  again 
became  the  mother  of  a  little  daughter — Isabella 
Romold  they  called  her,  in  compliment  to  beloved 
Spain.  She  was,  like  Francesco,  a  healthy  child, 
and  she  was  fair,  as  "playful  as  a  kitten,"  and 
thoroughly  Medici  in  temperament. 

Cosimo  busied  himself  in  peaceful  pursuits. 
He  greatly  encouraged  the  arts  and  crafts,  and 
set  on  foot  sagacious  reformation  of  the  conditions 
and  activities  of  the  grreat  Trade  Guilds.  The 
College  of  Science  was  due  to  his  patronage ; 
and,  in  1540,  he  extended  his  special  protection 
to  the  Florentine  Academy — whence  sprang  the 
still  more  famous  Accademia  della  Crusca. 

Still  due  regard  was  paid  to  the  exigencies  of 
121 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

political  peace  and  the  maintenance  of  safeguards. 
Throughout  Tuscany  Cosimo  raised  forts  and 
works  of  defence.  All  the  more  important  towns 
were  fortified,  and  entrenched  camps  and  bastions 
were  erected  at  San  Martino  in  Mugello,  and  at 
Terra  del  Sole.  He  kept  his  hand  upon  the 
pulse  of  Florence  :  no  slackening  of  restraint  was 
possible.  The  men  who  had  acclaimed  him  in 
1537  were  quite  capable  of  crying  out  for  his 
supersession  at  any  time.  Fickle  indeed  were 
the  Florentines  ever,  but  in  Cosimo  they  had  a 
master  who  would  not  let  them  go. 

The  Duke's  family  was  growing  fast,  and 
each  year  as  it  passed  gave  him  a  precious 
hostage  to  love  and  to  fortune.  The  Duchess, 
in  1543,  brought  forth  her  fourth  child,  another 
boy,  called  Giovanni,  after  his  grandfather,  and 
in  honour  of  good  St  John  the  Baptist,  the  patron 
saint  of  Florence.  Lucrezia  followed  in  1544, 
and  then  there  came  and  went  in  1545  and  1546 
Antonio  and  Piero.  Garzia  was  born  in  1547. 
A  year  sped  by,  and  in  1549,  Ernando  or  Fer- 
dinando,  made  his  appearance  and  then  came  a 
barren  season,  and  when,  perhaps,  it  had  been 
concluded  that  the  Duchess  had  ceased  child- 
bearing,  came  a  great  surprise,  one  more  little 
son,  in  1554,  Piero  was  his  name. 

Meanwhile,  Maria  had  been  erowinsf  fast 
along  with  her  many  brothers  and  sisters.  At 
the  age  of  eight  or  nine  she  was  an  attractive 
litde  damsel.      "  Tall    for  her  age,   with  a  face 

122 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

not  only  pretty,  but  intelligent,  and  as  merry  and 
as  full  of  life  as  was  possible.  Her  broad  fore- 
head was  indicative  of  more  than  ordinary  mental 
power."  Her  thirst  for  knowledge  and  her 
power  of  acquisition  delighted  her  doting  father 
and  mother. 

Maria  was  reared  with  all  the  care  that  love 
and  hope  could  inspire,  and  at  her  mother's  knee 
she  learned  her  first  lessons.  The  unhappy  result 
of  poor  young  Caterina's  education  proved  to 
Duke  Cosimo  that  the  convent  was  no  place 
for  her,  and,  although  he  placed  Alessandro's 
illegitimate  little  daughters,  Giulia  and  Porczia, 
with  the  good  nuns,  he  resolved  that  no  such 
experience  should  be  that  of  his  own  dear 
children.  The  common  saying,  "  The  cow  that 
is  kept  in  the  stall  gives  the  best  milk  "  had  for 
him  a  special  significance  ! 

Florentine  children  were  noted  for  precocity 
and  cruelty.  Perhaps  the  tragedy  of  Giacopo 
de'  Pazzi,  and  the  mauling  of  his  mutilated  body 
by  the  street  urchins,  had  left  their  marks  on 
succeeding  generations  of  boys  and  girls.  The 
most  popular  pastime  was  mimic  warfare,  wherein 
the  actualities  of  wounds  and  even  deaths  were 
common  constituents.  Every  dangerous  sport 
was  encouraged  and,  if  by  chance,  or  by  intent, 
a  boy  killed  his  rival,  nobody  cared  and  few 
lamented.  The  spirit  of  revenge  was  openly 
cultivated,  and  cruelties  of  all  kinds  were  not 
reprimanded. 

123 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

Whether  Cosimo's  children  shared  in  the 
general  juvenile  depravity,  it  is  impossible  to  say  : 
they  were,  as  they  left  the  nursery,  kept  hard  at 
work  with  their  lessons — Maria  certainly,  and 
probably  Isabella,  shared  the  studies  of  their 
brothers.  At  first.  Maestro  Francesco  Riccio, 
who  had  been  their  father's  tutor  also,  grounded 
them  all  in  Greek,  Latin,  grammar,  music,  and 
drawing ;  and  then  Maestro  Antonio  Angeli  da 
Barga,  a  scholar  and  writer  of  considerable  merit, 
took  them  through  the  higher  subjects  of  com- 
position, poetry,  rhetoric,  and  geometry. 

Foreign  languages  —  at  least  French  and 
Spanish — were  not  forgotten,  for,  before  Donna 
Maria  was  eight  years  old,  she  spoke  the  latter 
tongue  with  fluency.  The  very  learned  Maestro 
Pietro  Vettori,  when  he  joined  the  household  of 
the  Duke  as  teacher  of  Greek  and  philosophy  to 
Don  Francesco,  was  greatly  struck  by  the  young 
girl's  attainments,  and  so  charmed  was  he  by  her 
sprightly  manner,  that  he  obtained  permission  for 
her  to  join  her  brother's  lessons. 

Donna  Maria,  before  she  was  twelve,  could 
read  and  quote  Homer  with  ease.  She  com- 
posed elegantly  in  Greek  and  Latin,  and, 
possessed  of  a  remarkably  sweet  and  sympathetic 
voice,  she  was  able  to  recite  from  memory,  and 
even  to  expound  her  own  juvenile  opinions,  both 
in  Latin  and  in  Tuscan. 

Cosimo  and  Eleanora  inhabited  the  Medici 
Palace,   in   the  Via   Larga,  just  five  years,   and 

124 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

then  he  transferred  his  official  residence  to  the 
Palazzo  Vecchio.  This  he  did  to  show  that  he 
was  absolute  ruler  of  Tuscany  as  well  as  head 
of  the  Medici  family.  With  the  skilled  assistance 
of  Tasso,  the  architect,  and  Vasari,  the  painter, 
he  set  about  structural  and  decorative  alterations 
and  adornments,  which  rendered  the  old  building- 
more  suitable  as  a  residence  for  the  Sovereign. 

In  1549  Duchess  Eleanora  purchased  the 
Pitti  Palace  from  Buonaccorso  Pitti,  for  9000 
gold  florins,  and  laid  out  the  adjacent  gardens. 
There  the  Duke  and  Duchess  took  up  their 
residence  with  their  family  and  their  suite. 

Among  young  aspirants  to  fame  and  fortune, 
who  enrolled  themselves  in  the  ''Bande  Nere,''  were 
several  scions  of  the  proud  and  warlike  Rimini 
family  of  Malatesti.  One  branch  of  the  family 
held  the  Marquisate  of  Roncofreddo,  and  their 
stronghold  was  the  castle  of  Montecodruzzo. 
Marquis  Leonida  de'  Malatesti  was  the  happy 
father  of  many  sons  and  daughters.  After  the 
premature  death  of  the  Condottiere  Giovanni  de' 
Medici,  his  sons  maintained  their  allegiance  and 
devotion  to  the  cause  of  his  son  Cosimonino. 

Giacopo  and    Lamberto,  elder    sons,  became 

esquires  of  the  young  Medico,  and  were  of  the  party 

which  entered  Florence  on  that  memorable  day  in 

1537.     A  younger  boy,    Malatesta,    followed    his 

brothers'  example,  for,  in  1 548,  in  the  list  of  officers 

and  men   of  the    Ducal  household  in   Florence, 

125 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

appears  his  name  as  a  page,  but  of  the  tender  age 
of  ten. 

The  lad  was  possessed  of  the  vigour  and  spirit 
of  his  race,  and  it  required  all  the  patience  and 
tact  of  Frate  Cammillo  Selmi,  the  Master  of  the 
Pages,  to  keep  him  in  order.  His  pugnacious 
disposition  attracted  the  attention  of  the  Duke, 
and  his  pretty  looks  and  fair  hair  charmed  the 
Duchess.  One  other  recommendation  the  young 
boy  had — his  father's  fidelity  and  worthy  services, 
and  he  was  looked  upon  as  a  pet  of  the  palace, 
and  became  rather  a  playmate  than  an  attendant 
of  the  Duke's  family.  Besides,  his  mother  was  a 
Florentine — she  was  Madonna  Cassandra,  the 
daughter  of  Messer  Nattio  de'  Cini,  a  devoted 
adherent  of  the  Medici. 

Many  were  the  escapades  in  which  Francesco, 
Giovanni,  Garzia,  and  Ernando,  the  Duke's  sons, 
were  joined  by  young  Malatesta  de'  Malatesti 
and  other  pages  of  the  household.  One  such 
boyish  prank,  when  the  Court  was  at  Pisa,  in  the 
winter  of  1550,  had  a  tragic  ending.  In  the 
pages'  common  room  the  lads  were  playing  with 
shot-guns,  which  were  supposed  to  be  unloaded. 
Picking  up  one  of  these,  by  mere  chance,  Malatesta 
aimed  it  jokingly  at  his  companions,  when  to  his 
and  their  alarm  the  weapon  exploded,  and,  sad 
to  behold,  poor  young  Francesco  Brivio,  a  son 
of  Signore  Dionisio  Brivio  of  Milan,  a  fellow  page, 
fell  to  the  ground  mortally  wounded. 

Consternation  reigned  in  the  palace,  the  Duke's 
126 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

private  physician,  Maestro  Andrea  Pasquali,  was 
sent  for  in  all  haste  from  Florence,  and  every- 
thing was  done  for  the  unfortunate  lad,  but,  on 
the  fourth  day — it  was  just  before  Christmas — the 
promising  young  life  passed  away. 

Malatesta,  with  his  heart  breaking,  was  con- 
fined in  the  guard-room,  and  there  he  remained 
pending  the  Duke's  decision.  Every  one  was 
grieved  beyond  measure  at  the  tragic  occurrence, 
but  all  took  Malatesta's  part.  The  young  Medici 
were  eager  and  united  in  their  version  of  the 
affair,  moreover  Donne  Maria  and  Isabella  were 
filled  with  pity  for  the  unhappy  young  prisoner. 
Indeed,  the  former  regarded  him  with  a  sister's 
love  :  she  was  just  ten  and  the  lad  thirteen,  and 
she  pleaded  with  the  Duchess,  her  mother,  to 
have  the  boy  released. 

The  Duke  sent  for  Signore  Tommaso  de' 
Medici,  the  Chamberlain  of  the  Court,  and  gave 
him  instructions  to  set  the  boy  at  liberty,  after 
administering  the  useful  punishment  of  twenty 
strokes  with  a  birch  rod,  and  giving  him  a  severe 
reprimand  and  caution ! 

Signor  Brivio  and  his  wife,  of  course,  were 
dreadfully  cast  down  by  their  sad  bereavement, 
and  both  wrote  piteously  to  the  Duke,  and  so 
did  Marchese  Leonida  de'  Malatesti.  Cosimo 
sent  very  sympathetic  letters  in  return  :  that  to 
the  Marchese  was  as  follows  :  "  .  .  .  Considera- 
tion has  been  given  ...  it  has  not  been  found 
that  there  was  any  malice  between  the  boys.  .  .  . 

127 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

Do  not  trouble  yourself  any  further  about  the 
matter,  for  your  boy  remains  in  our  service,  in 
which  we  hope  he  will  behave  as  he  ought,  and 
we  hold  you  in  the  same  esteem  as  we  have  ever 
done.     May  God  preserve  you." 

Young  Malatesta  grew  to  be  a  fine,  high- 
spirited  soldier  of  the  Duke's  bodyguard.  Loyal 
to  the  core  to  his  master,  and  ambitious  for  the 
honour  of  his  family,  no  enterprise  was  beyond  his 
scope,  no  obstacle  insurmountable.  Intercourse 
between  the  princes  and  princesses  and  himself 
became  naturally  less  familiar,  but  the  affections  of 
early  boy  and  girlhood  are  not  easily  dissipated  ; 
and  so  Malatesta  de'  Malatesti  and  Maria  de' 
Medici  found,  but,  alas,  for  their  woe  and  not  for 
their  weal ! 

Whilst  boys  and  young  men  in  Florence  were 
free  to  come  and  go  as  they  liked,  and  to  mix 
with  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men  and  women, 
the  case  was  precisely  the  opposite  for  girls.  Very 
especially  severe  were  the  restrictions  imposed 
upon  the  growing  daughters  of  the  Duchess 
Eleanora.  Brought  up  amid  all  the  austerity  and 
fanaticism  of  the  Spanish  Court,  Eleanora  de 
Toledo  viewed  woman's  early  life  from  the  con- 
ventual point  of  view. 

Jealous  of  her  children's  honour,  she  fenced 
her  three  daughters  around  with  precautions 
which  rendered  their  lives  irksome  to  themselves 
and  troublesome  to   all    who   were  about  them. 

Maria  and  her  younger  sisters  were  literally  shut 

128 


MARIA.   LUCREZIA    DE'    MEDICI.    Eldest  Daughter  of  Cosimo  I. 
Angelo  Bfonzino. 

UFFI^I    GALLERY,    FLORENCE. 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

up  within  the  narrow  Hmits  of  the  apartments 
they  occupied  in  the  palace — happily  for  them  it 
was  not  the  Palazzo  Vecchio  but  the  more  roomy 
Pitti,  with  its  lovely  Boboli  Gardens. 

With  carefully  chosen  attendants  and  teachers, 
their  lives  were  entirely  absorbed  by  religious 
exercises,  studies,  and  needlework.  Rarely  were 
they  seen  at  Court  functions,  and  rarer  still  in  the 
city.  If  they  were  allowed  a  day's  liberty  in  the 
country,  they  were  jealously  guarded,  and  every 
attempt  at  recognition  and  salutation,  of  such  as 
they  chanced  to  meet,  was  rigorously  checked. 

Beyond  association  with  their  brothers,  and 
anxiously  watched  intercourse  with  the  members 
of  the  Ducal  suite,  their  knowledge  of  the  sterner 
sex  was  absolutely  wanting.  It  was  in  vain  that 
Cosimo  expostulated  with  his  consort ;  she  was 
inexorable,  and,  indeed,  she  stretched  her  system 
so  far  as  to  exclude  the  ladies  of  the  Court. 
Perhaps  she  was  right  in  this,  for  the  Duke  him- 
self was  the  daily  object  of  her  watchfulness ! 

Cosimo  was  wont  to  meet  her  restrictions  by 
some  such  remark  as  "  Well,  you  see,  Eleanora, 
Maria  and  Isabella  are  of  the  same  complexion  as 
myself ;  we  have  need  of  freedom  at  times  to 
enjoy  the  pleasures  of  the  world." 

Love,  we  all  know,  cares  neither  for  locks  nor 
bars,  and  lovely  young  Maria  de'  Medici  was 
surely  made  to  love  and  to  caress.  She  had 
many  adorers,  whose  ardour  was  all  the  more 
fierce  by  reason  of  their  inability  to  press  her  hand 
I  129 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

and  kiss  her  lips.  She  was  in  1556  betrothed  to 
Prince  Alfonso  d'Este,  eldest  son  of  the  Duke  of 
Ferrara.  He  was  certainly  not  in  the  category  of 
lovers,  even  at  sight,  for  he  had  never  seen  his 
bride  to  be.  That  was  an  entirely  unimportant 
incident  in  matrimonial  arrangements.  The 
union  was  projected  entirely  for  political  reasons, 
and  chiefly  for  the  putting  an  end  to  the  protracted 
contest  for  precedence  between  the  two  families, 
which  every  now  and  again  threatened  to  plunge 
all  Italy  into  war. 

Alfonso  d'Este  was  the  heir  of  his  father, 
Ercole  II. — of  his  titles  and  wealth,  but  not  of  his 
good  looks  and  polished  manners  ;  besides,  his 
reputation  for  chastity  and  sobriety  was  not  of  the 
best.  Directly  Maria  was  told  of  the  arrange- 
ment she  expressed  her  disgust  and  her  de- 
termination not  to  submit  to  parental  dictation. 
Her  reception  of  the  Prince  was  cold  in  the 
extreme,  she  declined  to  see  him  apart  from  her 
sisters  and  attendants,  and  he  returned  to  Ferrara 
in  no  amiable  frame  of  mind. 

Meanwhile  love,  true  love,  had  peeped  through 
the  jalousies  of  Princess  Maria's  window,  and  his 
arrows  had  fled  their  dangerous  course  unseen  by 
any  but  herself,  and  him  whose  heart  was  hers. 
No  one  suspected  that  a  life  so  guarded  could,  by 
any  means,  be  filched  from  its  restraints  ;  but  so 
it  was,  and  the  first  gossip  sprang  out  of  the 
mouth  of  a  venerable  Spanish  retainer  of  the 
Duchess,    the    faithful    ctistode,    Mandriano,    who 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

guarded   his  mistress's   door   almost    night    and 
day. 

Traversing  one  day  an  unfrequented  part  of 
the  gardens  of  the  Palace  on  the  Hill,  the  old 
fellow  thought  he  heard  voices,  and,  approaching 
a  grove  of  laurels,  he  descried  the  young  Princess 
in  the  arms  of  Malatesta  de*  Malatesti ! 

The  Duchess  was  furious  when  Mandriano 
told  her,  and  immediately  conveyed  the  portentous 
news  to  her  husband.  Cosimo  reflected  long  and 
acted  warily,  for  he  made  no  move  for  many  days. 
Stealthily  he  tracked  the  unsuspecting  lovers  to 
their  trysting-place.  Mandriano's  story  was  quite 
correct. 

He  summoned  the  two  young  people  to  his 
private  closet,  he  acquainted  them  with  the  fact 
that  the  liaison  could  not  continue,  and  ordered 
Malatesta  to  prepare  for  immediate  imprisonment 
— with  the  loss  of  all  his  honours  and  the  con- 
fidence of  his  Sovereign.  The  boy  pleaded  in 
vain,  and  testified  to  the  innocence  of  the  love- 
making  without  effect,  except  to  raise  the  Duke's 
anger  to  a  dangerous  pitch.  Maria  threw  herself 
at  her  father's  feet  and  appealed  for  mercy  for  her 
lover,  asking  that  the  parental  vengeance  should 
fall  on  her  and  not  on  Malatesta. 

"That  you  shall  have,  base  child  of  mine," 
Cosimo  cried  in  a  fierce  tone;  "see,  you  shall 
have  the  justice  of  a  Roman  father ! "  Then, 
plucking  out  his  poignard  from  its  hidden  sheath, 
he  stabbed  his  child  to  the  heart ! 

131 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Drawing  forth  the  gory  weapon,  he  flung  it  at 
the  head  of  the  despairing  youth,  and,  throwing 
his  cloak  around  his  shoulders,  rushed  out  of  the 
chamber  slamming-to  the  door ! 

Malatesta  must  have  fallen  in  a  deadly  swoon 
across  the  lovely  form  of  his  innamorata,  incapable 
of  speech  and  action,  for,  there  they  were  found, 
both  apparently  dead,  by  brethren  of  the  Miseri- 
cordia,  who  had  been  summoned  by  the  Duke. 
Malatesta  was  thrown  into  prison,  and  there  he 
languished  for  seven  long  years,  without  anyone 
knowing  of  his  existence.  His  parents  had  asked 
Cosimo  repeatedly  about  the  boy,  but  no  answer 
was  ever  given — the  Duke  having  forbidden  the 
subject  to  be  named. 

To  the  Duchess  he  prevaricated  and  hinted 
that  the  sudden  death  of  the  child  was  due  to  the 
malignant  spotted  fever,  and  that  he  had  given 
personal  instructions  for  the  immediate  removal  and 
interment  of  her  body.  The  brethren  of  the  Miseri- 
cordia  might  have  enlightened  the  grief-stricken 
mother,  only  they  were  sworn  to  secrecy;  they  knew 
how  the  beauteous  young  girl  had  died.  They  laid 
her  fair  body  to  rest  in  a  grave  unknown  even  to  her 
father,  and  not  among  her  people  in  San  Lorenzo. 

Cosimo  moved  the  Court  immediately  to 
Livorno,  and  thence  to  Pisa,  and  there  they  kept 
their  Lenten  fast  in  strict  seclusion.  There  was 
universal  grief  in  Florence  where  the  unhappy 
Princess,  though  rarely  seen  in  public,  had  become 
the  favourite  of  the   people,    through    her  fresh 

132 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

young  beauty  and  by  what  was  known  of  the 
sweetness  of  her  character  and  the  brilliancy  of 
her  attainments. 

Duchess  Eleanora  and  her  children  mourned 
piteously  for  lovely  Maria :  there  seemed  to  be 
no  solace  for  their  grief.  As  for  the  Duke,  he 
was  a  changed  man,  the  bitterness  of  remorse 
had  turned  his  natural  reserve  into  moroseness. 
He  was  like  one  beside  himself,  his  wonted  firm- 
ness and  self-control,  at  times,  failed  to  stay  him, 
and  he  preferred  to  shut  himself  up  alone  in  one 
of  the  towers  of  the  castle  at  Livorno,  venting 
his  passionate  despair  in  fits  of  weeping  and  in 
abject  cries  of  self-reproach. 

No  one  dared  to  go  near  to  him,  for  to  all  who 
presumed  to  intrude  upon  his  woes  he  was  like  a 
lion  roused.  That  ever  ready  secret  blade  might 
be  whipped  out  to  another's  undoing!  Still,  in 
calmer  moments  he  reflected,  as  Muzio  has 
suggestively  written  :  "  Maria  was  very  beauti- 
ful, as  beautiful  as  any  child  of  earth,  most 
courteous  and  gentle,  her  seriousness  compelled 
everyone  to  respect  her,  her  sprightliness,  to  love 
her.  She  was  pleasing  to  Heaven,  whither  she 
had  gone  sinless  to  reinforce  the  angelic  choir, 
and  to  wear  the  most  fragrant  coronal  of  roses 
among  the  companies  of  holy  virgins." 

As  for  the  unfortunate  young  Malatesta,  he 
pined  in  his  dungeon  within  the  keep  of  San 
Giovanni  for  a  while,  but  "hope  springeth  ever 
in  youthful  hearts,"  and  his  one  and  consuming 

133 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

thought  was  of  escape.  His  conduct  seems  to 
have  been  exemplary,  and  he  gained  the  sympathy 
and  friendship  of  his  gaolers.  At  length  he 
ventured  to  unbosom  himself  to  a  worthy  sergeant 
of  the  guard,  and  this  man  assisted  him,  knowing 
well  what  great  risk  they  both  incurred. 

One  evening  Malatesta  unseen,  save  by  his 
friend,  scaled  the  prison  wall,  and  made  good  his 
escape  from  Florence  and  Tuscany.  He  did  not 
venture  to  seek  sanctuary  within  his  father's 
castle,  but,  flying  to  the  coast,  boarded  a  vessel 
bound  for  Candia,  a  fief  of  Venice,  and  outside 
Duke  Cosimo's  jurisdiction.  Various  tales  are 
told  of  his  future  career  —  some  affirm  that 
assassins,  in  the  pay  of  Duke  Cosimo,  tracked 
him  to  his  doom,  and  others,  that  he  fell,  fighting 
against  the  Turks  at  Famagusta.  Anyhow,  the 
kindly  sergeant  was  put  to  death  by  order  of  the 
Duke! 

Cosimo  de'  Medici  was  not  the  sort  of  man  to 
brood  very  long  over  troubles,  however  prostrat- 
ing and  desperate.  He  was  essentially  a  man  of 
action,  prompt,  eager  and  able  :  probably  no  one 
ever  had  a  more  thorough  confidence  in  his  own 
ability.  There  were  several  questions  of  supreme 
importance,  both  public  and  private,  which  claimed 
his  attention. 

The  everlasting;  disaoreement  between  the 
aristocracy  and  the  democracy  was  only  partially 
healed    by    the   alliance    of  the    two   against   an 

^34 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

autocracy.  Coslmo  was  bent  upon  being  absolute 
ruler  of  Tuscany,  and  the  development  of  his  will 
raised  against  him  and  his  Government  constant 
opposition.  He  meant  to  keep  his  hand  tight 
hold  of  the  bridle  of  his  charger  "  Tyranny,"  and 
to  spur  him  on  where  he  willed. 

The  Mediceo-Este  dispute  still  called  for 
firmness  and  determination.  Tuscany  and 
Florence  had  certainly  a  better  case  than  the 
Romagna  and  Ferrara,  but  intrigue  and  bribes 
could  achieve  what  the  sword  and  pen  could  not. 
Cosimo  meant  to  keep  on  his  steel  gauntlets, 
although  he  covered  them  with  the  fragrant  silk 
gloves  of  plausibility.  With  this  idea  ever 
present,  he  was  bent  upon  retaining  the  advan- 
tage he  had  gained  over  Duke  Ercole  in  the 
matter  of  poor  young  Donna  Maria's  betrothal, 
for  he  had  other  daughters  to  consider.  Donna 
Isabella  was  provided  for,  for  better  or  for  worse — 
alas,  that  the  latter  was  to  be  her  sad  fate — 
beautiful,  fascinating  Isabella  de'  Medici,  but 
Donna  Lucrezia,  nearly  fifteen  years  of  age,  was 
the  forfeit  her  father  paid  in  his  gambit  of 
Medicean  aggrandisement. 

In  the  July  that  followed  Donna  Maria's 
tragic  death,  with  all  the  circumstances  and  pomp 
of  state  ceremonial,  Lucrezia  de'  Medici  was 
married  to  Alfonso  II.,  Duke  of  Ferrara,  the 
same  prince  who  had  been  affianced  to  her  sister 
Maria. 

It  was  not  without  misgivings  that  this  step 
135 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

was  taken :  Duchess  Eleanora,  in  particular, 
expressed  dissatisfaction  with  the  match,  and 
feared,  perhaps  superstitiously,  the  portent  of  a 
second  unlucky  alliance.  Anyhow  the  prepara- 
tions for  the  nuptial  day,  and  the  pageants  which 
accompanied  it,  drew  off  the  thoughts  of  all  from 
the  terrible  event  of  Christmas. 

Cosimo,  however,  had  other  and,  from  his  own 
personal  point  of  view,  more  attractive  objects 
upon  which  to  expend  thought  and  action.  As 
soon  as  the  marriage  festivities  were  over,  he  set 
out  with  a  small  suite  of  expert  surveyors  and 
agriculturists  to  the  Maremma.  It  was  a 
peculiarly  unhealthy  region,  and  had  gone  out  of 
cultivation,  and  its  former  inhabitants  had 
deserted  it. 

The  Duke  determined  to  drain  the  land  by 
cutting  a  canal  right  through  from  the  Arno  to 
the  sea.  Next,  he  set  to  work  to  afforest  the 
newly  recovered  ground,  to  carve  it  out  in  allot- 
ments suitable  for  agricultural  pursuits,  and  to 
encourage  the  settlement  of  vigorous  working 
peasant-tenants.  A  certain  portion  of  the  estates 
he  set  apart  to  his  own  use  for  the  preservation  of 
wild  game.  He  rebuilt  and  enlarged  the  ruined 
castle  of  Rosignano,  ten  miles  from  Livorno,  for 
the  occupation  of  himself  and  his  family  and  for 
his  hunting  associates. 

At  Pisa  he  had  peculiar  interests.  The 
University,  which  Lorenzo  "  il  Magnifico "  had 
refounded,  had  been  abandoned  by  his  successors 

136 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

and  was  closed.  Cosimo  took  the  matter  up  :  he 
re-established  all  that  had  been  done  by  his 
illustrious  predecessor,  and  endowed  a  number 
of  professorial  chairs — especially  in  chemistry, 
wherein  he  was  himself  an  ardent  student  and 
sapient  expert — and  kindred  sciences,  and  founded 
scholarships  or  apprenticeships  for  youths  of  every 
station. 

The  climate  of  Pisa  suited  Duchess  Eleanora 
and  young  Don  Giovanni — who  was  a  delicate 
lad — better  far  than  that  of  Florence ;  it  was 
sedative  and  not  so  rigorous  in  winter  as  that  of 
the  higher  Val  d'Arno.  Then,  too,  they  were 
there  within  easy  reach  of  their  favourite  seaside 
residence,  Livorno,  in  whose  harbour  rode  con- 
stantly galleons  of  war  from  Spain  flying  the 
Duchess'  own  dear  country's  ensign. 

Cosimo  and  his  family  of  course  had  many 
other  distractions  from  the  affairs  of  State.  In 
addition  to  his  attainments  as  a  chemist,  in  which 
science  he  especially  interested  his  eldest  son, 
Francesco,  he  excelled  in  his  knowledge  of  botany. 
With  passionate  devotion  to  an  attractive  subject 
he  taught  his  children  the  nature  and  the  use  of 
all  orrowino^  thinp:s.  At  the  Pitti  Palace  he  had 
his  laboratories. 

Printing  and  the  printing-press  found  in 
Cosimo  an  ardent  patron.  Away  in  the  grounds  of 
the  Casino  di  Cosimo — ''II Padre  della  Patrid" — 
within  the  confines  of  the  monastery  of  San 
Marco,  he  printed,  bound,  and  published,  literary 

137 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

works  of  all  kinds.  Torrentino,  Paolo  Giovio, 
Scipione  Ammirato,  Benedetto  Vasari,  Filippo 
de'  Nerli,  Vincenzio  Borghini,  and  many  other 
writers,  printers,  and  critics,  collectors,  for- 
gathered at  the  Ducal  studios. 

Architecture  and  the  embellishment  of  the 
city  had  also  Cosimo's  active  sympathy  :  piazzas, 
bridges,  fountains,  statues,  still  bear  the  marks 
of  his  supervision.  Benvenuto  Cellini,  Michael 
Angelo  Buonarroti,  Baccio  Bandinelli,  Giovanni 
da  Bologna,  Bernardo  Buonlatenti,  Francesco 
Ferrucci,  Tribolo,  Giorgio  Vasari,  were  among 
his  proteges  and  personal  friends. 

In  all  these  enterprises  he  shared  his  pleasures 
with  his  sons,  and  so  the  years  passed  on  with 
rays  of  brilliant  sunshine  piercing  the  clouds  of 
darkling  deeds.  Alexandre  Dumas  has  well 
summed  up  the  character  of  Cosimo  de'  Medici : 
"He  had,"  he  says,  "all  the  vices  which 
rendered  his  private  life  sombre,  and  all  the 
virtues  which  made  his  life  in  public  renowned 
for  splendour ;  whilst  his  family  experienced 
unexampled  misfortune,  his  people  rejoiced  in 
prosperity  and  gladness." 

Perhaps  in  the  delights  of  music  and  dancing 
and  in  the  invigorating  exercises  of  the  chase, 
Cosimo  found  his  best-loved  relaxation.  No 
Florentine  valued  more  thoroughly,  and  shared 
more  frequently  than  he,  in  the  layman's  privilege 
of  assisting  in  the  choir  of  the  Duomo  at  the 
singing  of  the  "  Hours."     Musical  reunions  in  the 

138 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

gardens  of  the  Pitti  Palace  were  of  constant  re- 
currence, where  he  and  his  children  danced  and 
sang  to  their  hearts'  content,  amid  the  plaudits  of 
the  company. 

The  Duke  easily  excelled  all  his  courtiers  and 
the  many  distinguished  visitors  who  made  Florence 
their  rendezvous,  in  exploits  in  the  hunting-field. 
No  one  rode  faster  than  he,  always  in  at  the 
death,  whether  buck  or  boar,  he  was  second  to 
none  as  a  falconer.  He  knew  every  piscatorial 
trick  to  take  a  basketful  of  fish,  and  in  the  game 
of  water-polo,  in  the  Arno,  no  swimmer  gained 
more  goals ! 

In  the  middle  of  October,  1562,  the  Duke 
and  Duchess,  with  their  four  sons,  Giovanni, 
Garzia,  Ernando,  and  little  Piero — only  eight 
years  old — accompanied  by  a  limited  suite,  left 
the  Palazzo  Pitti  for  a  progress  through  South 
Tuscany  and  the  Maremma.  At  Fuicchio  and 
Grosseto  they  made  sojourns,  that  the  Duke 
might  inspect  the  new  fortifications,  which  were 
nearing  completion,  and  view  the  partly  formed 
roads. 

The  cavalcade  passed  on  to  Castiglione  della 
Pescaia,  Massa  Maritima,and  thence  to  the  Castello 
di  Rosignano,  where  they  went  into  residence  for 
the  huntinof  season.  The  members  of  the  Ducal 
family  were  not  in  very  robust  health,  and 
Maestro  Stefano  had  "  indicated "  the  healthy 
pastime  of  the  chase  as  a  cure  for  enfeebled  con- 
stitutions. 

139 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Don  Giovanni,  born  28th  September,  was  just 
nineteen.  He  was  of  a  gentle  disposition,  serious 
beyond  his  years,  amenable  to  the  dictates 
of  conscience,  and  attracted  by  the  offices  of 
religion.  In  many  ways  he  resembled  his  mother, 
and  was  physically  more  of  a  Spaniard  than  a 
Florentine.  From  his  earliest  years  he  evinced 
a  remarkably  docile  submission  to  all  who  were 
placed  over  him  as  teachers  or  governors.  He 
was  gifted  with  great  ability,  for,  sharing  as  he  did, 
the  studies  and  duties  of  his  brothers,  he  very 
soon  surpassed  them  all  in  polite  accomplishments. 
Francesco  Riccio,  now  the  Duke's  Major-domo, 
noted  the  young  prince's  cheerfulness,  conscien- 
tiousness and  diligence.  The  reports  which 
Maestro  Antonio  da  Barga  made  to  his  father  of 
his  son's  progress  were  full  of  praise  of  his  young 
pupil's  aptitude  and  perseverance.  Giovanni  de' 
Medici  was,  in  many  respects,  a  brilliant  exponent 
of  Count  Baltazzare  Casti^lione's  CorteHano  or 
"  Perfect  Gentleman." 

Cosimo  expected  great  things  of  his  amiable 
and  accomplished  son,  and,  noting  especially  his 
sobriety  and  integrity,  destined  him  for  the  service 
of  the  Church.  Pius  IV.  succeeded  to  the  Papal 
throne  in  1559,  and  his  election  was  in  a  great 
measure  due  to  the  advocacy  of  the  Duke  of 
Florence.  In  January  of  the  following  year,  he 
invited  young  Giovanni  to  visit  Rome,  and  im- 
mediately conceived   an    immense    fancy    for  his 


charming  visitor. 


140 


GIOVANNI    DE'    MEDICI— Cardinal. 
Second  Son  of  Cosimo  I.    (Angcio  Bronzino). 

UFFIZI  GALLERY,  FLORHNCE. 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Giovanni  was  preconised  Cardinal- Deacon, 
with  the  title  of  Santa  Maria  in  Domenica,  and 
the  Pope  presented  him  his  own  private  residence, 
with  its  appointments  and  household.  The  young 
Cardinal  spent  some  weeks  in  the  Eternal  City, 
and  gathered  around  him,  by  his  courtesy  and 
liberality,  most  of  the  Florentine  exiles  in  Rome 
and  its  environs.  They  were  generally  in  a 
woeful  condition,  and  the  young  prince  undertook 
to  bring  their  misfortunes  and  their  fervent  wishes 
before  his  father. 

The  Cardinal  of  Lorraine  and  the  Cardinal 
Camerlengo  Ascarno  Sforza  had  previously  visited 
the  Tuscan  Court,  and  had  received  Cosimo's 
consent  to  his  son's  acceptance  of  the  biretta. 

Giovanni  Battista  Adriani  in  his  Istorie  di 
Suoi  Tempe,  has  placed  on  record  that  this 
youthful  Prince  of  the  Church  was  "of  mature 
judgment  and  wise  beyond  his  years,  and  of  such 
a  bearing  that  it  would  have  been  difficult  to  have 
found  anyone  more  attractive,  more  seemly  in  his 
morals,  and  very  sensible."  In  Rome  Giovanni 
gave  himself  up  especially  to  the  study  of 
antiquities,  and  he  became  a  great  favourite  with 
the  many  pious,  learned,  and  distinguished  men 
who  were  gathered  round  the  mild  and  religiously- 
minded  Pontiff. 

Cardinal  de'  Medici's  secretary  was  the  erudite 
and  upright  Abbot  Felice  Gualterio,  who  subse- 
quently gathered  together  his  letters  and  literary 

compositions,  "wherein  are  noble  and  benevolent 

141 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

expressions  of  his  affection  for  his  father  and 
mother  and  his  brothers  and  sisters."  Garzia, 
two  years  his  junior,  is  often  named  with  sincerest 
love  and  pleasure. 

Pius,  constant  in  his  devotion  to  the  young 
Cardinal,  added  to  his  honours  and  prerogatives 
by  creating  him,  early  in  1561,  Archbishop  of 
Pisa,  but,  inasmuch  as  he  had  not  reached  the 
age  prescribed  for  holding  ecclesiastical  prefer- 
ments, Canon  Antonio  da  Catignano  was  ap- 
pointed Administrator  of  the  spiritualities  of  the 
See.  However,  in  March,  the  young  Archbishop 
made  his  ceremonial  entry  into  Pisa,  accompanied 
by  the  Duke  and  Duchess,  with  their  family  and 
court. 

The  Pope  greatly  desired  that  Cardinal 
Giovanni  should  enter  Holy  Order,  and  to  this 
the  young  prince  cordially  and  reverently  acceded, 
but,  for  reasons  of  his  own,  Cosimo  declined  his 
consent,  remarking  that  "a  prince  of  his  house  was 
more  distinguished  than  a  consecrated  prelate." 
As  a  set-off  to  this  discourteous  reply  to  Pius,  the 
Duke,  whilst  at  Pisa,  founded  the  military  order  of 
San  Stefano,  as  a  thank-offering  for  the  subjuga- 
tion of  Siena,  much  after  the  pattern  of  the 
Knights  of  Malta — constituting  himself  Grand 
Master  and  the  Cardinal,  Chancellor. 

Giovanni  actually  undertook  his  duties  as 
Archbishop  by  granting  letters  of  appointment  to 
benefices  within  his  diocese.  One  is  dated 
24th   October,    1562,  and   was  addressed   to  the 

142 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Bishop  of  Arezzo,  about  the  presentation  to  a  cer- 
tain abbey  which  had  become  vacant  upon  the 
death  of  Cardinal  della  Cueva. 

It  was  at  this  period  that  Pius  wrote  to  Duke 
Cosimo,  suggesting  a  matrimonial  alliance  between 
the  Duke's  eldest  son,  Don  Francesco, — who  was 
undertaking  a  princely  tour  of  the  chief  European 
Courts  for  the  double  purpose  of  making  himself 
known  personally  to  the  various  Sovereigns,  and 
of  looking  out  for  a  suitable  consort, — and  the 
Princess  Maria  Garzia  of  Portugal.  The  proposi- 
tion was  backed  up  by  an  offer  of  the  kingly  title 
to  the  Duke.  Both  propositions  fell  to  the  ground, 
but  Pius,  in  his  eagerness  to  render  the  Duke  of 
Florence  homage,  and  to  prove  his  gratitude, 
asked  his  acceptance,  for  his  young  son  Garzia,  of 
the  command  of  a  Papal  ship  of  war. 

Garzia,  the  third  of  Duke  Cosimo's  surviving 
sons,  was  born  on  ist  July,  1547.  His  baptism, 
for  some  unknown  reason,  was  delayed  three 
years,  and  not  until  29th  June,  1550,  was  he  held 
at  the  ancient  font  in  the  Battisterio  di  San 
Giovanni,  having  for  his  sponsor  Pope  Julius  III., 
who  was  represented  by  Jacopo  Cortese  da  Prato, 
Bishop  of  Vaison,  the  writer  of  a  curious  letter 
descriptive  of  the  ceremony. 

The  little  fellow  was  a  thorough  Medico,  full 
of  spirit,  frank,  and  daring.  Blessed  with  the 
good  looks  of  his  father's  family,  he  was  the  mer- 
riest among  his  brothers  and  sisters.  Mischiev- 
ous,  and  passionate  too,   at   times,  he  endeared 

143 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

himself  especially  to  his  mother  by  his  fascinating 
manners  and  his  whole-hearted  devotion. 

Whilst  regarding  his  brilliant  son  Giovanni, 
perhaps,  with  the  keenest  affection,  Cosimo  saw 
in  his  younger  boy  traits  not  unlike  his  own,  and 
an  instinctive  love  of  arms.  Garzia  then  was  from 
the  first  years  of  boyhood  destined  for  a  military 
career,  having  placed  before  him  the  splendid 
example  of  his  redoubtable  grandfather,  "  Giovanni 
L'hivincibler 

Upon  his  thirteenth  birthday,  the  Duke  ap- 
pointed his  gay  young  son  Admiral  of  the  Floren- 
tine fleet  at  Pisa,  naming  as  his  Vice-Admiral, 
Baccio  Martelli,  the  most  valiant  and  best  experi- 
enced naval  commander  in  his  forces,  and  the 
head  of  one  of  the  most  ancient  Florentine 
families. 

In  spite  of  Cardinal  Giovanni's  expression  of 
affection  for  his  younger  brother,  there  is  no  doubt 
that  he  was  not  a  little  jealous  of  his  mother's 
partiality  for  Garzia.  One  would  have  thought 
that  Duchess  Eleanora  would  have  regarded  with 
special  delight  and  love  the  son  who  most  re- 
sembled herself  in  appearance  and  disposition  ; 
but  perhaps  the  reason  for  her  preference  may  be 
gathered  by  looking  into  the  happy,  radiant, 
laughing  face  of  her  bonnie  little  son,  as  painted 
by  Angelo  Bronzino  at  the  Uffizi  in  Florence ! 

It  would  seem  that  when  the  Court  reached 
Rosignano  the  Duchess,  Giovanni,  and  Garzia  com- 
plained of  fever,  and  they  were  for  a  few  days  con- 

144 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

fined  to  the  house.  The  good  air  and  the  charm 
of  country  life  were  specific,  and  the  invalids 
regained  their  vigour  and  their  good  spirits,  and 
all  were  eager  for  the  sport.  Each  day  had  its 
particular  rendezvous,  and  what  form  the  pastime 
should  take  was  agreed  overnight  by  the  chief 
huntsmen  and  falconers. 

The  Duchess  Eleanora  did  not  always  accom- 
pany her  husband,  and  Ernando — who  was  not 
quite  thirteen — generally  remained  with  his  tutors 
at  the  Castle  until  afternoon,  when  they  both 
sallied  forth,  with  little  Piero,  to  meet  the  return- 
ing-hunting  party.  Upon  the  ever-memorable 
twenty-sixth  of  November  the  Duchess  had  been 
persuaded  by  Don  Giovanni  to  go  with  them, 
for  there  was  to  be  a  deer-drive  in  the  forest 
between  the  castle  and  Livorno,  and  he  expected 
to  have  a  chance  of  exhibiting  his  skill  as  a  marks- 
man at  a  notable  full-grown  roebuck. 

Giovanni  and  Garzia  were  equally  fearless 
riders,  and  very  soon  after  the  game  had  been 
rounded  up,  the  special  quarry  they  were  after 
went  off  at  a  tremendous  rate,  out-distancing  his 
pursuers  until  he  was  lost  in  the  forest.  The 
brothers  separated  and  met  again  in  an  open 
glade,  where  both  descried  the  buck,  quietly  brows- 
ing upon  the  fresh  green  grass.  Garzia  seems  to 
have  sighted  the  animal  first,  but  whilst  he  was 
somewhat  slow  in  bringing  his  weapon  to  his 
shoulder,  the  Cardinal  aimed,  fired,  and  dropped 
the  game.     He  at  once  dismounted  and   ran  to 

K  145 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

claim  the  prize.  High  words  followed,  and,  when 
Giovanni  made  some  insulting  remark  about  his 
less  mature  station  as  a  marksman,  Garzia,  over- 
heated by  the  chase,  and  aggravated  by  his 
brother's  raillery,  hastily  drew  his  heavy  hunting- 
knife  and  brandished  it  before  Giovanni's  face, 
threatening  to  do  for  him  if  he  did  not  desist,  and 
withdraw  his  claim  to  first  shot. 

Giovanni  pushed  the  boy  from  him,  perhaps 
somewhat  roughly,  and  then  Garzia,  having  en- 
tirely lost  command  of  himself,  struck  a  blow  at 
his  brother  which  wounded  him  severely  in  the 
groin.  Giovanni  fell  to  the  ground,  exclaiming, 
"  And  this  from  you,  Garzia.  May  God  in 
Heaven  forgive  you.     Call  help  at  once." 

The  blast  of  the  horn  soon  gathered  round  the 
unhappy  brothers  courtiers  and  huntsmen.  Gio- 
vanni was  bleeding  freely,  his  hose  and  buskins 
were  saturated,  and  Garzia  was  weeping  piteously, 
and  crying  out  despondently,  "  Oh  God,  I  have 
killed  Giovanni !  Oh  God,  I  have  killed  Gio- 
vanni !  "  A  huntsman  snatched  up  the  gory  lethal 
weapon,  lest  the  boy,  in  his  despair,  should  turn  it 
upon  himself. 

All  that  they  could  do  to  staunch  Giovanni's 
wound  they  did,  and  having  made  a  temporary 
stretcher  with  guns  and  hunting-cloaks,  the  little 
cavalcade  was  preparing  to  move  on  to  seek 
further  assistance.  They  had  not  proceeded  very 
far  when  the  Duke  and  his  attendants  rode  upon 
the  scene.      Halting  the    bearers  of  his  son   he 

146 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

enquired  who  it  was  they  carried.  Before  any 
one  could  make  a  reply,  Don  Garzia  ran  shrieking 
up  to  his  father. 

"It  is  me,  your  Garzia,  I  have  killed  Gio- 
vanni," he  cried  out  in  abject  terror. 

Cosimo  motioned  the  sorrowful  bearers  to 
proceed,  and  they  and  their  burden  were  no 
sooner  out  of  sight  than  Duchess  Eleanora  came 
up  in  her  sedan-chair,  terribly  agitated  by  the 
cries  she  had  heard  in  the  forest.  She  approached 
her  husband  and  found  him  standing  lost  in 
thought,  with  that  terrible  expression  upon  his 
face  which  he  exhibited  once  before  when  she 
had  enquired  for  her  first-born,  Maria ! 

There,  too,  on  the  sward,  was  her  favourite 
son,  her  Garzia,  apparently  in  a  swoon,  and  she 
advanced  to  aid  him.  Garzia  heard  his  mother 
coming  towards  him  and,  rousing  himself,  he  ran 
and  threw  himself  into  her  arms,  weeping 
bitterly. 

Then  once  more  he  turned  to  his  father  plead- 
ingly, and  kneeling  to  him,  grasped  his  legs, 
imploring  pardon  for  his  crime — for  neither  father 
nor  son  doubted  but  that  Giovanni  was  dead. 
Baring  his  head,  and  holding  his  arms  wide  apart 
to  Heaven,  the  Duke  appealed  to  God  to  direct 
his  actions.  Then,  turning  to  his  son,  grovelling 
at  his  feet.  "  Behold,  thy  brother's  blood,"  he 
cried  with  bitterness,  "asks  vengeance  of  God 
and  of  me,  thy  miserable  father ;  and  now  I  shall 
deal  with  thee  alone.     Certainly  it  is  a  heinous 

147 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

crime  for  a  father  to  kill  his  son,  but  it  would  be 
a  still  more  grievous  sin  to  spare  the  life  of  a 
parricide,  lest  he  went  on  to  exterminate  his 
family,  and  lay  their  name  in  the  dirt,  to  be 
execrated  of  all  men.  I  have  now  resolved  what 
to  do,  for  I  would  far  rather  live  in  history  as  a 
pitiless  father  than  as  an  unjust  Sovereign." 

The  Duchess,  judging  that  Cosimo  actually 
intended  to  slay  his  son,  and  knowing  how  fruit- 
less any  efforts  of  hers  would  be  to  avert  such  a 
terrible  calamity,  fell  upon  her  knees  and  prayed 
aloud  to  Heaven  to  save  the  poor,  young  boy,  and 
spare  her  own  broken  heart.  Shutting  her  eyes, 
and  covering  her  ears,  she  awaited,  more  dead 
than  alive,  the  fall  of  that  hand,  within  which  was 
convulsively  grasped  a  flashing  poignard ! 

Cosimo  once  more  prayed  rhost  earnestly  to 
God  to  approve  the  justice  of  his  deed,  to  pardon 
him  for  so  executing  the  Divine  wrath,  and  for 
peace  for  the  souls  of  his  young  sons.  Then, 
bending  towards  the  unconscious  Garzia,  he 
exclaimed,  "  I  will  have  no  Cain  in  my  family," 
and,  at  the  same  moment,  he  plunged  his  weapon 
into  the  heart  of  his  boy. 

With  a  last  despairing  shriek  Garzia  fell  away, 
crying,  as  he  expired,  the  one  word  "  Mother! " 

The  Duchess  also  lay  upon  the  grass,  still  as 
death ;  indeed,  her  heart  had  stopped  its  beat 
when  Cosimo  raised  her,  and  bid  her  sternly 
to  act  the  woman.  She  was  speechless  and 
demented,    and    at   the    sight  of  her  dear  son's 

148 


GARZIA    DE'    MEDICI. 

Fifth  son  of  Cosimo  I.     (Angelo  Bronzino.) 

UFFIZI    GALLERY,    FLORENCE. 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

crimson  blood  colouring  the  fresh  verdure  where 
he  had  fallen,  she  lost  her  reason,  and  her  cries 
and  shrieks  resounded  through  the  forest. 

From  all  sides  courtiers  and  huntsmen  appeared 
upon  the  scene.  The  Duke  silently  waved  them 
away,  and,  beckoning  four  of  the  most  trusty  of 
his  retainers,  he  bade  them  pick  up  the  dead 
body  of  the  young  prince  and  bear  it  after  him, 
whilst  he  commanded  the  lacqueys  to  carry  back 
the  Duchess  in  her  sedan-chair  to  the  Castle. 

Asking  which  way  the  bearers  of  the  murdered 
Giovanni  had  taken,  he  ordered  his  own  cortege 
to  follow  on  to  Livorno.  Arrived  at  the  palace, 
the  corpses  of  the  two  unfortunate  young  princes 
were  arranged  for  burial.  Upon  baring  Don 
Garzia's  body,  a  fresh  wound  was  discovered  in 
his  back,  but  whether  by  the  hand  of  Don 
Giovanni  no  one  ever  knew.  This  fact,  how- 
ever, was  reported  to  the  Duke  and  furnished 
him  with  a  satisfactory  reason  for  the  double 
tragedy — for  he  deemed  it  wiser  just  then  that 
the  truth  should  not  be  published ! 

Solemn  obsequies  were  celebrated  in  the 
Duomo  of  Pisa.  Don  Giovanni  was  honoured 
with  all  the  crororeous  ceremonies  due  to  a  Cardinal 

o       o 

Archbishop,  and  some  say  his  body  was  left  there, 
whilst  the  burial  of  poor  Don  Garzia  was  com- 
pleted by  a  simple  service  in  San  Lorenzo  in 
Florence.  The  cause  of  the  twofold  lamentable 
occurrence  was  officially  ascribed  to  malarial  fever 
— the  two  young  victims  having  contracted,  as  it 

149 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

was  said,  the  fatal  malady  during  the  progress  of 
the  Court  through  Tuscany. 

The  Duchess  Eleanora  did  not  long  survive 
her  sons.  She  never  left  her  bed  in  the  Castle  of 
Rosignano  until  she  was  carried  for  expert  advice 
and  treatment  into  Pisa.  Prince  Francesco  re- 
turned in  haste,  from  his  tour  of  the  Courts,  and 
did  much,  by  his  loving  sympathy,  to  revive  his 
stricken  mother.  Still  of  no  real  avail  were  all  the 
remedies,  for  she  breathed  her  last  one  month 
after  that  terrible  day  in  the  forest,  and  her  body 
was  borne  sorrowfully  into  Florence,  and,  within 
the  octave  of  Christmas  laid  beside  her  dearly- 
loved  Garzia. 

As  for  Duke  Cosimo,  Don  Francesco  found 
him  a  changed  man,  aged  by  a  good  ten  years, 
silent,  morose,  and  indifferent  to  all  that  transpired 
around  him. 

News  of  the  tragedy  was  current  in  the  city 
of  Trent,  where  the  Ecumenical  Council  was  in 
session,  and  it  made  a  great  impression  upon  the 
assembled  prelates  and  assistants.  Masses  were 
offered  for  ten  days  for  the  repose  of  the  souls  of 
Giovanni  and  Garzia,  and  devotions  were  ad- 
dressed to  Heaven  on  behalf  of  the  father  who 
had — no  one  there  for  a  moment  doubted — been 
the  avenger  of  one  son's  blood  and  the  spiller  of 
the  other's. 

Within  two  years  Cosimo  de'  Medici — ever 
pursued  by  an  accusing  conscience  and  diverted 
only  from  suicide  by  indulging  in  every  sensuality 

150 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

within  his  power,  executed  an  instrument  of 
abdication  of  his  sovereignty,  naming  Don 
Francesco  Regent  of  the  Duchy,  and  retaining 
for  himself  no  more  than  the  title  of  Duke  of 
Florence. 


151 


CHAPTER  IV 

LUCREZIA ElEANORA ISABELLA 

Three  Murdered  Princesses 

"Shall  I  go  in,  or  shall  I  not?"  asked  Isabella 
de'  Medici,  Duchess  of  Bracciano,  with  a  catch  in 
her  voice. 

Donna  Lucrezia  de'  Frescobaldi,  her  first 
Lady  of  Honour,  made  no  reply,  but  grasped  her 
mistress'  arm  convulsively.  The  two  women 
stood  pale  and  trembling  at  the  door  of  the 
Duke's  bedchamber,  in  their  charming  villa  of 
Cerreto  Guidi,  a  few  miles  out  of  Florence. 

There  was  something  uncanny  in  the  air, 
which  caused  the  Duchess  and  her  lady  instinc- 
tively to  draw  back.  It  was  not  the  Duke's 
voice,  for  that  was  pitched  in  an  unusually  tender 
key,  and  yet,  its  very  unusuality  might  have 
caused  their  trepidation.  There  was  something 
indefinable  in  the  situation,  which  produced 
apprehension  and  alarm. 

Doubtless  their  nerves  were  overstrained  by 
the  terrible  event  at  Cafaggiuolo.  Eleanora,  the 
Duchess's  sister-in-law,  had  seen  and  felt  the 
cold  steel  dagger,  struck  out  from  behind  the 
arras,  by  her  husband's  hand — she  was  dead ! 

152 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Every  titled  woman,  and  many  another  too, 
felt  instinctively  that  she  was  walking  on 
dangerous  ground :  murder  seemed  to  lurk 
everywhere,  and  marriage  appeared  to  spell 
assassination ! 

The  remorse  of  Cosimo  de'  Medici  for  the 
murder  of  his  dearly-loved  child  Maria,  his  first- 
born, did  not  hinder  his  policy  of  aggrandisement. 
He  was  determined  to  keep  the  whip-hand  over 
Ferrara,  and  to  maintain  the  precedence  of  his 
house  over  that  of  the  Estensi.  He  had  already 
sacrificed  one  daughter,  not  only  to  his  parental 
passion  but  to  his  sovereign  will,  and  one 
daughter  still  remained  unbargained  ;  he  would 
use  her  to  hold  what  he  had  got. 

Lucrezia  was  no  more  than  twelve  years  old 
when  Maria  passed  to  Paradise.  Prince  Alfonso 
was  twenty-two,  and  his  father,  Duke  Ercole  H., 
had  apparently  no  fiancde  in  view  for  him,  and 
the  lad  seemed  not  to  be  in  a  marrying  mood. 
At  the  moment  Ferrara  was  isolated,  but  Cosimo, 
seizing  a  favourable  opportunity,  through  his 
relationship  with  the  King  of  Spain,  contrived  to 
arrange  a  treaty  between  that  kingdom,  Tuscany 
and  Parma,  which  he  adroitly  extended  to  include 
Ferrara. 

It  was  a  powerful  combination,  and  Cosimo 
had  his  price,  and  that  price  was  the  betrothal 
of  Alfonso  and  Lucrezia.  The  Duke  of  Ferrara 
yielded,  and  in  the  same  month,  March  1558,  the 

153 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

treaty  of  alliance  was  signed  at  Pisa,  and  the  two 
young  people  were  affianced  there  by  proxy. 

To  be  sure,  there  was  trouble  with  Rome. 
Julius  III.,  in  1552,  had  bespoken  Lucrezia  for 
his  bastard  nephew,  Fabiano  Conte  Del  Monte — 
a  man  without  resources  and  of  no  recognised 
position  nor  of  good  character — it  was  just  a 
selfish  whim  of  the  Pope — the  children  never 
saw  each  other.  Cosimo,  with  his  usual  daring, 
brushed  the  whole  project  aside,  and  made  a 
liberal  contribution  to  Peter's  Pence  that  year ! 

If  Lucrezia  was  somewhat  less  fair  and  less 
clever  than  Maria,  she  was,  all  the  same,  an 
attractive  girl.  Thin  in  figure — as  all  growing 
girls — tall,  well-formed,  with  the  promise  of  a 
well-proportioned  maturity,  she  had  an  oval  face 
and  a  high  forehead,  well-clustered  with  curly 
auburn  hair.  There  was  a  peculiarity  about  her 
eyes — black  they  were  or  a  very  dark  brown — 
they  had  something  of  that  cast  of  optic  vision 
which  was  remarkable  in  Cosimo,  ' '  //  Padre 
delta  Patria,''  and  in  Lorenzo,  "//  MagnificOy' 
as  well  as  in  other  members  of  the  family. 

"  She  had  a  pretty  mouth  and  a  dimpled  chin, 
and  always  wore  a  pleasing  expression  indicative 
of  good  -  nature  and  resolute  affection.  Very 
unlike  her  elder  sisters,  Maria  and  Isabella,  she 
was  somewhat  reserved  in  manner ;  she  spoke 
little,  but  expressed  her  opinion  with  flashes  of 
her  eyes."  Her  father  admired  her  firmness  of 
resolution  greatly,  and  generally  spoke  of  her  as 

154 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

"Z«  Mia  Sodana,''  *'my  little  strong-willed 
daughter." 

"  She  is  quite  a  chip  of  the  old  block,"  he  was 
wont  to  say  of  her,  "quite  one  of  us — a  Medico 
in  frocks ! "  Lucrezia  shared  the  lessons  of  her 
brother,  and  had  been  brought  up  specially  with 
the  idea  of  a  brilliant  foreign  marriage,  and  her 
maid  was  a  girl  from  Modena  who  knew  Ferrara 
well. 

One  condition  of  the  marriage-contract  was 
most  unusual — namely,  that  the  bridegroom  should 
be  free  to  leave  Florence  upon  the  third  day  after 
the  nuptials  had  been  celebrated !  This  was 
necessary,  the  Prince  averred,  in  order  that  he 
might  keep  an  appointment  he  had  made,  with  his 
father's  consent,  with  the  King  of  France — the 
enemy  of  the  quadruple  alliance  ! 

Prince  Alfonso  troubled  himself  very  little 
about  his  fiancee.  He  was  devoted  to  selfish 
pleasures,  and,  when  his  energies  were  called  into 
play,  they  were  devoted  to  the  service  of  arms. 
His  betrothal  to  Maria  de'  Medici,  without  his 
consent,  her  untimely  and  suspicious  death,  and 
the  character  Duke  Cosimo  bore  for  tyranny, 
ambition,  and  greed,  were  undoubtedly  deterrent 
to  the  young  man's  wish  to  cultivate  another 
Medici  alliance. 

His  own  father,  Duke  Ercole,  resembled  his 
prospective  father-in-law  in  many  respects.  The 
Estensi,  with  the  Malatesti  of  Rimini  and  Pesaro, 
the  Sforzai  of  Milan,  and  the  Medici  of  Florence, 

155 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

were  classed  as  "  families  of  tyrants."  Duke 
Ercole  was  a  man  of  strong  will  and  forceful 
action — a  tyrant  in  his  own  family  and  cruel  to 
his  unhappy  consort  —  he  could  not  brook  any 
disobedience  to  his  behests.  He  commanded  his 
son  to  set  forth  at  once  from  Ferrara  and  claim 
his  bride  in  Florence. 

Accompanied  by  a  glittering  retinue,  which 
included  a  dozen  Lords  of  the  Supreme  Council, 
Prince  Alfonso  took  his  way  over  the  Apennines, 
along  the  Bologna  road.  On  i8th  June  the 
cavalcade  was  discerned  from  the  heights  of 
Olivets,  wending  its  way  through  Boccaccio's 
country  to  the  city  walls. 

He  was  received  with  great  distinction  by  the 
Duke  and  Duchess,  attended  by  the  whole  Court ; 
and  his  welcome  by  the  citizens  was  very  cordial. 
Florentines  always  loved  a  spectacle.  Everyone, 
however,  remarked  the  Prince's  haughty  bearing, 
and  the  coldness  with  which  he  returned  Cosimo's 
greeting.  He  bore  himself  as  a  man  in  presence 
of  a  foe  whose  every  action  must  be  watched 
intendy.  The  Duchess,  with  all  her  Spanish 
sensibility,  perceived  at  once  the  disfavour  of 
their  guest,  and  sought  to  interest  him  in  the  scene 
around  him  and  in  the  happiness  in  prospect. 

Alfonso  was  quite  unmoved.  He  met 
Lucrezia's  greeting  with  a  cold  handshake,  and 
begged  that  the  marriage  ceremonies  might  be 
hurried  forward,  as  "he  had  not  much  time  to 
spare."     Cosimo  joined  in  the  Duchess'  entreaties 

156 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

that  the  uncanny  condition,  in  the  marriage-con- 
tract, might  be  observed  in  the  breach. 

"  My  word  is  pledged  to  the  King  of  France," 
he  replied  disdainfully,  "and  go  I  must." 

Duke  Ercole,  in  a  letter  delivered  to  Cosimo 
by  Alfonso,  urged  the  former  not  in  any  way  to 
dissuade  his  son  from  carrying  out  his  intention. 
It  was  common  knowledge,  however,  in  Ferrara, 
and  reported  by  members  of  the  Prince's  retinue 
to  the  courtiers  of  Florence,  that  Henry  II.  of 
France  had  made  known  to  Duke  Ercole  his 
intention  of  repaying  the  three  hundred  thousand 
ofold  ducats  he  owed  Ferrara.  A  condition  ac- 
companied  the  proposal,  namely,  that  the  Duke 
should  withdraw  from  the  alliance,  and  despatch 
his  son  at  once  to  Paris,  to  assure  the  bona  fides  of 
the  new  arrangement. 

Moreover,  Henry  hinted  not  only  at  the 
advisability  of  separating  the  too  youthful  couple, 
and  of  giving  the  Prince  military  employment 
until  his  young  wife  attained  a  more  mature  age  ; 
but  suggested  that  some  way  should  be  found, 
even  at  the  eleventh  hour,  of  allying  Alfonso  to  a 
French  princess. 

Nevertheless,  Alfonso  claimed  his  Florentine 
bride,  whilst  Lucrezia  appears  to  have  con- 
ceived an  attachment  for  the  warlike  young 
Prince,  who  caused  a  courier  to  inform  his  father 
that  the  Princess  "  seemed  to  like  "  him.  Duke 
Ercole  replied  as  follows :  "I  am  much  pleased 
that  your  bride  is  satisfied  with  you.       I   would 

157 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

rather  have  heard  your  own  state  of  mind  in 
regard  to  the  matter.  ..." 

Letters  to  the  Duke  from  the  chief  members 
of  the  Prince's  suite  assured  him  that  the  Prince 
really  fell  in  love  with  the  Princess  at  first  sight, 
but  there  is  no  word  of  Alfonso's  extant  which 
shows  that  he  cared  in  the  least  for  the  bride 
State  policy  had  assigned  for  him. 

Duchess  Eleanora  was  exceedingly  provoked 
by  the  young  Prince's  demeanour  and  his  insistence 
upon  the  observance  of  the  unnatural  condition. 
Moreover,  she  protested  to  the  Duke  her  wish 
that  the  marriage  might  at  least  be  postponed, 
pointing  out,  with  a  woman's  intuition  of  trouble, 
that  no  good  could  come  out  of  such  an  uncanny 
arrangement. 

She,  of  course,  was  Spanish,  and  she  seems 
to  have  forgotten  that  French  blood  flowed  in 
Alfonso's  veins — his  mother,  Duchess  Renata,  or 
Renea,  being  a  daughter  of  Louis  XII.  Duke 
Ercole  added  to  the  trouble  by  deeply  wounding 
the  Duchess'  susceptibilities  with  a  suggestion 
that  the  young  bride  should  be  sent  to  Ferrara, 
immediately  after  the  nuptial  ceremony,  under  the 
care  of  chosen  proxies  for  his  son. 

Haughtily  she  answered  the  Duke's  repre- 
sentative :  "A  married  daughter  of  the  Medici, 
and  of  Spain,  remains  at  her  parents'  palace  until 
her  husband,  and  no  one  else,  takes  her  away." 

The  day  fixed  for  the  marriage  was  3rd  July — 

a  Sunday — and  the  wedding  Mass  was  celebrated 

158 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

in  the  private  chapel  of  the  Palazzo  Pitti,  by  the 
Bishop  of  Cortona.  One  hundred  and  one 
comely  Florentine  gentlewomen  formed  a 
beauteous  guard  of  honour  for  the  bride,  each 
arrayed  splendidly  in  silk  brocade  and  covered 
with  costly  jewels.  As  many  young  nobles,  with 
the  accompaniment  of  music  and  dancing,  per- 
formed a  gorgeous  pageant  of  Greeks,  Indians 
and  Florentines.  In  the  Piazzo  di  Santa  Maria 
Novella  a  State  exhibition  of  the  popular  Floren- 
tine game  of  //  Calcio  (football),  was  given  by 
sixty  of  the  best-looking  and  most  noble  youths, 
attired  in  cloths  of  gold  and  silver. 

The  bride  and  bridegroom  retired  late  at 
night  to  the  Palazzo  Medici  in  the  Via  Larga, 
set  in  order  for  them,  but,  on  the  third  day, 
Prince  Alfonso,  as  good  as  his  word,  set  off 
for  France !  Don  Francesco,  Lucrezia's  eldest 
brother,  accompanied  him  as  far  as  Scarperia,  on 
the  Bologna  road,  and  there  bade  him  a  not  too 
friendly  farewell.  The  young  man  had  made  a 
very  bad  impression  in  Florence ;  he  had  kept 
himself  entirely  to  himself,  and  had  gone  through 
his  part  of  the  ceremonials  like  a  puppet. 

Lucrezia  moved  like  the  fabled  princess  in  a 
dream.  Her  eyes  were  wet  with  weeping,  and, 
although  she  restrained  her  emotion,  her  dis- 
appointment and  distress  caused  her  silent  and 
bitter  suffering.  Accustomed  as  she  was  to  obey 
implicitly  the  commands  of  her  autocratic  father, 
she  knew  that  she  must  submit  to  the  harshness 

159 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

of  her  spouse,  and  make  the  best  of  a  most 
unfortunate  and  embarrassing  situation. 

Alfonso  had  forbidden  her  to  write  to  him, 
but  appointed  a  faithful  follower  of  his,  Francesco 
da  Susena,  as  confidential  Chamberlain  of  the 
youthful  Princess.  He  was  to  provide  funds  and 
disburse  them  for  the  expenses  of  the  Princess, 
and  to  keep  his  master  well  posted  in  all  that 
transpired,  and,  in  particular,  to  inform  him  of 
every  word  and  action  of  his  forsaken  girl-wife  ! 

Ten  days  after  the  departure  of  the  Prince 
from  Florence,  he  wrote  a  letter  to  Lucrezia, 
which  he  bade  da  Susena  read,  and  then  eive 
her.  The  Court  was  at  Poggio  a  Caiano  in 
villeggiatura,  and  the  Chamberlain  was  in  the 
company.  He  gave  the  Princess  her  husband's 
letter,  and  made  the  following  report  to  his 
master : — 

"  I  was  taken  to  the  slope  of  a  hill,  where 
Her  Highness  the  Princess  was  walking  with  the 
Duchess  Eleanora,  who  is  always  with  her.  I 
gave  her  the  letter,  which  she  took  greedily,  with 
exceeding  joy,  and  retired  apart  with  it.  She 
read  it  over  and  over  again,  and  then  she  ques- 
tioned me  about  your  Highness.  ...  I  told  her 
that  she  had  no  occasion  to  fear,  for  your  Highness 
would  run  no  more  risk  than  the  king^  himself 
She  appeared  much  comforted,  and  told  me  to 
beg  your  Highness,  in  her  name,  to  hasten  your 
return  to  Florence." 

1 60 


LUCREZIA    DE'    MEDICI. 

Duchess  of   Ferrara.    Third  Daughter  of  Cosimo  I. 

Angelo  Bronzino. 

UFFIZI    GALI.KKV,    FLORENCE. 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Within  six  months  of  Lucrezia's  ill-fated 
marriage,  Duke  Ercole  died  at  Ferrara,  and  her 
husband  succeeded  as  Alfonso  II.  The  life  of 
Ercole  and  his  Duchess  Renata  had  been  any- 
thing but  happy.  He  was  as  ambitious  as  he 
was  unscrupulous  :  Lord  of  Modena  and  Reggie 
and  Papal  Vicar  of  Ferrara,  his  possessions 
stretched  from  the  Adriatic  to  the  Apennines. 
Extravagant  and  devoted  to  amusement,  he 
spared  neither  time  nor  money  in  the  full  enjoy- 
ment of  pleasure. 

The  Court  of  Ferrara  became  under  him  the 
most  splendid  Court  in  Europe — famous  for  the 
excellence  of  its  music  and  its  dancing  and  the 
superiority  of  its  theatre — Carnival  lasted  from 
New  Year's  Day  to  Ash  Wednesday.  Duchess 
Renata  never  loved  her  husband  nor  his  people. 
Until  she  fell  under  the  influence  of  Calvin  she 
was  discontented,  passionate,  and  bigoted.  The 
Duke  scouted  her  ill-humour  and  treated  her 
cruelly. 

'' Peu  d'amys,  qui conques  est  loing  (Teulx''  was 
said  of  unhappy  Renata.  She  gave  her  disposi- 
tion to  her  son,  but  he  did  not  follow  her  religious 
predilections.  He  enclosed  her  in  a  convent — 
the  sanctuary  of  princely  widows  and  orphans — 
where  she  died  in  1597. 

Duke  Alfonso  sent  to  Florence  for  his  consort 

early   in    1560,    but,    true    to    her   determination, 

Duchess    Eleanora    required    him    to    come    for 

Lucrezia  in  person !     With  perhaps  less  frigidity 

L  161 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

than  he  had  exhibited  the  year  before,  but  with 
very  little  more  friendliness,  Alfonso  made  his 
second  appearance  in  Florence.  He  was  accom- 
panied by  Cardinal  de'  Medici,  his  brother-in-law 
— so  soon  to  come  to  a  tragical  and  untimely  end 
in  the  Maremma — and  a  princely  escort  of  two 
thousand  five  hundred  horsemen.  The  young 
Duchess,  not  yet  sixteen,  mounted  upon  a  cream- 
white  palfrey,  rode  out  of  the  Porta  San  Gallo,  by 
the  side  of  her  husband.  The  day  was  gloomy 
and  the  purple  and  white  crocuses,  which  children 
scattered  before  her,  betokened,  so  it  was  said, 
disaster. 

Anyhow,  it  was  a  sorrowful  parting  with  her 
parents,  and  with  Florence.  Never  again  was 
she  destined  to  see  them  or  it.  The  days  of  her 
childhood,  spent  happily  enough  with  her  brothers 
and  sisters,  were  over :  the  fatigues  and  intrigues 
of  a  hostile  Court  were  before  her,  and,  already, 
trouble  had  marked  her  young  life  with  scars — 
more  were  to  follow. 

The  Duke  and  Duchess  entered  Ferrara  in  full 
State,  on  21st  February,  but  their  reception  was 
as  cold  as  was  the  weather.  The  dynastic  dis- 
pute, whilst  ostensibly  healed  at  its  head,  still 
affected  the  limbs  of  the  Duchy.  The  people 
were,  to  a  man,  and  perhaps  to  a  woman,  anti- 
Medicean,  and  showed  their  disapproval  of  their 
Sovereign's  consort,  by  abstaining  from  taking 
their  share  in  the  festivities. 

One's  heart  bleeds  for  this  child-bride  of  seven 
162 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

months  introduced  unguarded  to  the  gayest, 
maddest,  and  most  corrupt  Court  in  Italy.  Of  the 
Ferrarese  it  has  been  justly  said  :  "  By  nature 
they  are  inclined  only  for  pleasure  and  revenge." 
True  enough,  happiness  and  tragedy  are  close 
partners  in  life's  story.  No  one  loved  Lucrezia 
de'  Medici  in  Ferrara — least  of  all  her  husband. 

Perhaps  the  position  may  be  succinctly  stated — 
"  the  bride  of  three  nights  was  not  enceinte!  Had 
she  only  possessed  the  attributes  of  coming  mother- 
hood, Lucrezia's  origin  might  have  been  con- 
doned. But  surely  it  was  foul  cruelty  which  fixed 
the  fault  on  her  alone.  As  it  was,  the  poor  young 
Duchess  was  accorded  at  her  husband's  court  the 
position  of  a  '  Cosa  della  lussuria ' — to  be  set 
aside  as  soon  as  the  novelty  had  passed  away ! " 

The  Duchess  determined,  possessed  as  she 
undoubtedly  was,  though  so  young,  of  much  of 
the  force  of  character  of  her  family,  to  put  a 
good  face  upon  things.  Her  letters  to  her 
parents,  written  during  the  Carnival,  are  full  of 
pleasant  details  of  her  new  life.  She  was  enjoy- 
ing, with  girlish  zest,  the  gaieties  around  her,  and 
entering  fully  into  the  merry  prospects  of  the 
Court  masquerades.  Whether  her  expressions 
are  quite  sincere,  is,  perhaps,  immaterial  under 
the  circumstances — she  knew  her  father's  disposi- 
tion too  well  to  make  complaints. 

The  anniversary  of  her  wedding  came  round 
to  find  her  childless  and  devoid  of  any  prospect 
of  issue.     Duke   Alfonso  was   far  too  much  en- 

163 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

gaged  in  politics  and  pleasure  to  give  his  due  to 
his  wife,  who  yearned  in  vain  for  the  fulfilment 
of  the  conjugal  vow.  Duchess  Renata  had  her 
party  at  Court,  a  party  opposed,  as  she  was,  to 
anything  and  everything  Florentine  :  her  son 
gave  heed  to  her  cautions,  and  thus  the  breach 
widened. 

Alfonso's  long  absences  from  home,  and  his 
disinclination  for  his  wife's  society,  left  Lucrezia 
to  seek  necessary  consolations  elsewhere.  She 
did  not  fail  of  admirers  in  that  giddy  Court :  the 
wonder  is  that  she  maintained  her  dignity  as  well 
as  she  did.  The  Duke  became  jealous,  of  course, 
of  his  neoflected  wife — all  faithless  husbands  are 
the  same.  He  paid  spies  to  report  to  him  the 
daily  occupations  of  the  Duchess,  with  the  names 
of  her  visitors  and  friends.  Thus  evil  eyes  and 
ears  were  opened,  and  evil  tongues  began  to  wag, 
until  they  caused  the  utter  undoing  of  the  innocent 
young  Duchess. 

Alfonso,  in  vain,  tried  to  fix  the  lovers  of  his 
wife — she  was  as  tactful  as  they  were  prudent — 
but  he  was  not  without  means  to  his  end.  The 
Duchess  early  gave  symptoms  of  ill-health.  In 
Florence  she  was  the  strongest  of  all  her  father's 
family,  but  at  Ferrara  she  became  delicate  and  a 
victim  to  incessant  sickness.     What  could  it  be  ? 

The  Court  physician  hinted  at  pregnancy,  but 
the  Duke  knew  that  was  impossible,  so  far  as  he 
was  personally  concerned,  nevertheless  it  served 
its  purpose.     The  winter  came  on  and  the  Duchess 

164 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

was  confined  to  her  apartments  in  the  palace, 
suffering  from  continual  fever  and  nausea. 
Maestro  Brassavola  —  of  good  report  as  a 
specialist  in  feminine  ailments — treated  her  un- 
successfully. Unhappy  Lucrezia — no  mother  to 
console  her,  no  friend  to  speak  to  her,  all  alone 
in  the  big  palace  with  unkindly  attendants — nearly 
sobbed  herself  to  death.  Daily  bleedings  and 
cuppings  further  diminished  her  strength.  Some 
say  that  Don  Francesco,  her  brother,  was  urged, 
by  his  mother,  to  pay  Lucrezia  a  visit,  but  the 
bad  terms  upon  which  he  stood  with  Duke 
Alfonso  was  an  effectual  bar  to  his  mission. 
Whether  from  craven  fear  or  premeditated  cruelty, 
the  Duke  never  entered  the  sick-room,  and  seemed 
entirely  indifferent  to  his  poor  young  wife. 
Indeed,  he  continued  his  life  of  prodigality  and 
self-indulgence  unrebuked,  as  we  must  suppose, 
by  his  conscience. 

At  last  the  Duchess'  condition  became  so 
critical  that  the  physicians  could  no  longer  dis- 
guise the  danger,  and  they  intimated  to  the  Duke 
the  approach  of  death.  Then,  and  then  only, 
Alfonso  found  his  way  to  his  wife's  bedside. 
With  a  sorrowful,  stricken  face  she  greeted  him 
affectionately,  and  remorse  seemed,  at  length,  to 
have  brought  him  to  his  senses.  He  became  the 
most  tender  of  nurses  and  watched  by  his  dying 
wife  day  and  night — but  the  poison  had  worked 
its  cause ! 

At  midnight,  21st  April  1561,  after  months  of 
16s 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

cruel  suffering,  neglected,  affronted,  and  wronged, 
the  innocent  soul  of  poor  young  Lucrezia,  Duchess 
of  Ferrara,  passed  into  another  world.  She  was 
not  yet  seventeen  years  old — in  bitter  experience 
of  life's  hardships  she  was  seventy.  At  the 
autopsy  of  her  body  Maestro  Pasquali  of  Florence 
declared  that  death  was  caused  by  putrid  fever ! 
Thus  was  the  Duke's  duplicity  preserved. 

Funeral  honours  due  to  her  rank  were  rendered, 
and  her  shrunken  little  body  was  buried  in  the 
Estensi  chapel  of  the  convent  church  of  Corpus 
Domini.  A  marble  slab  before  the  high  altar 
reads  thus : 

''^  Lucretia  de'  Medici — 7noglie  di  Alfonso  II., 
Duca  di  Ferra7'a  " — and  that  is  all — as  curt  and 
as  cruel  as  possible.  The  Duke's  show  of  grief 
was  as  insincere  and  hypocritical  as  could  be. 
He  shut  himself  up  in  his  palace  with  a  few 
chosen  cronies  for  seven  days ;  meanwhile  send- 
ing off  Bishop  Rossetto,  a  court  chaplain,  to 
Florence,  to  communicate  the  sad  tidings  to  Duke 
Cosimo  and  Duchess  Eleanora. 

Very  soon  after  the  death  of  Lucrezia  the 
Marchese  Creole  de'  Contrari,  a  prominent 
Ferrarese  noble,  was  cast  into  prison  upon  an 
unstated  charge,  but  it  was  given  out  by  his 
jailor,  that  he  had  aspired  to  the  hand  of  an 
Estensi  princess.  He  was  never  seen  alive 
again,  for  he  was  strangled  in  Duke  Alfonso's 
presence  —  who  caused  his  name  to  be  vilely 
linked  with  that  of  the  poisoned  Duchess  ! 

1 66 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Cosimo  and  Eleanora  made  a  show  at  least 
of  grief,  and  a  splendid  Requiem  was  sung  for 
Lucrezia  at  the  Medici  church  of  San  Lorenzo. 
At  the  same  time  Cosimo  made  known,  in  most 
heartless  fashion  to  Alfonso  that,  whilst  he  was 
resigned  to  the  will  of  Heaven,  he  assured  him 
of  his  sincere  affection,  and  expressed  a  fervent 
wish  that  nothing  should  loosen  their  bonds  of 
true  and  solid  friendship !  Devout  Duchess 
Eleanora's  indifference  is  harder  to  explain  than 
Duke  Cosimo's  nonchalance.  Perhaps  in  her 
case  evil  associations  had  corrupted  good  manners, 
or,  more  likely,  the  memory  of  her  child  Maria's 
terrible  death  compelled  discretion  in  her  dealings 
with  her  husband  —  "Tyrant  of  tyrants."  It 
might  be  her  turn  next  to  feel  that  cold  steel ! 

And  what  about  Duke  Alfonso  .<*  Well,  very 
soon  he  forgot  all  about  Lucrezia,  and  found  con- 
solation, though  actually  he  needed  none,  in  a 
second  marriage.  This  union,  however,  led  to 
the  resurrection  of  the  hatchet  of  discord,  which 
Cosimo  and  Ercole  had  agreed  to  bury  under- 
orround. 

The  new  Duchess  was  Barbara  d'Austria, 
sister  of  the  Archduchess  Giovanna,  bride  of  Don 
Francesco,  poor  Lucrezia's  brother.  A  double 
wedding  was  fixed  at  Trento  in  August  1565,  but 
a  fracas  occurred  at  the  church  doors  between 
the  Medici  and  Estensi  suites  for  precedence. 
The  two  princely  couples  were  married  separately 
by  the  Emperor  Maximilian's  command,  each  in 

167 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

the  capital  of  the  bridegroom's  dominions.      Duke 
Alfonso  died  in  1597. 


One  notable  effect  of  the  foreig^n  marriag-es 
of  the  Medicean  princes  was  the  settling  of 
aliens,  in  considerable  numbers,  in  Florence. 
With  Clarice  and  Alfonsina  d'Orsini  had  come 
greedy  Roman  adventurers  ;  with  Margherita  and 
Giovanna  d'Austria  many  enterprising  Germans  ; 
self-seeking  Spaniards  came  with  Eleanora  de 
Toledo. 

From  one  point  of  view  this  foreign  immigra- 
tion was  advantageous — it  tended  to  revive  the 
falling  fortunes  of  Florentine  commerce.  On  the 
other  hand  aliens  were  introduced  into  prominent 
positions  at  the  Court  and  in  the  city,  whose  specula- 
tions robbed  the  citizens  of  their  fame  and  fortune. 

In  the  suite  of  Duchess  Eleanora  de  Toledo 
were  several  young  relatives,  bound  to  her  by 
ties  of  affection  and  looking  to  her  for  patronage 
and  advancement.  The  ranks  of  these  dependants 
were  constantly  being  recruited  by  young  people 
of  noble  birth,  for  whom  the  exceptional  educa- 
tional advantages  obtainable  in  Florence  were 
strong  attractions. 

One  of  these  was  the  Duchess's  niece  and 
godchild — Donna  Eleanora,  the  daughter  of  her 
brother,  Don  Garzia  de  Toledo.  Born  in  1553  in 
Naples,  where  her  father  kept  his  Court  as  Vice- 
roy for  the  King  of  Spain,  the  child  lost  her 
mother  when  she  was  only  seven  years  old.     The 

168 


ELEANORA   DF   MEDICI. 

Wife  of  Piero  De'  Medici,  youngest  son  of  Cosimo  I. 

From  an  engraving  by  Pietro  Antonio  Pa//i.  1761. 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Duchess  Eleanora  adopted  her  and  sent  to  Naples 
for  her,  and  little  Eleanora  de  Garzia  was  brought 
up  with  the  children  of  Cosimo  and  Eleanora,  and 
she  was  regarded  by  them  as  their  sister. 

Upon  the  Duchess'  melancholy  death  in  1562, 
her  daughter  Isabella,  Duchess  of  Bracciano, 
acted  the  part  of  mother,  young  as  she  was, 
and  only  just  two  years  married.  She  had  no 
child  of  her  own,  and,  apparently,  no  promise 
of  one,  anyhow  by  her  husband  ;  and  the  lively, 
pretty  little  Spanish  girl,  nestling  upon  her  knee, 
much  consoled  her  in  her  disappointment. 

At  fourteen,  Eleanora  de  Garzia  was,  as 
Antonio  Lapini  has  described  her :  "  Beautiful, 
elegant,  gracious,  kindly,  charming,  affable,  and, 
above  all,  possessed  of  two  eyes  rivalling  the 
stars  in  brilliancy."  She  was  also  a  clever  girl, 
and  her  studies  had  been  carried  on  in  companion- 
ship with  the  younger  children  of  her  aunt — 
Garzia,  Ferdinando,  and  Piero.  The  strictness 
of  their  control  was  loosened  when  the  Duke 
became  a  widower,  and  he  does  not  seem  to  have 
done  anything  to  guard  the  morals  of  his  young 
children. 

The  Court  of  Florence  was  not  the  place  in 
which  to  rear,  in  ways  of  obedience  and  steadiness, 
young  boys  and  girls,  and  Eleanora  and  her 
"  brothers  "  were  left  pretty  much  to  themselves, 
save  for  the  indulgent  guardianship  of  their  tutors 
and  attendants.  To  be  sure,  Don  Ferdinando 
was  sent  off  to  Rome  when  he  was  fourteen,  and 

169 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

was  enrolled  in  the  Sacred  College.  Don  Garzia's 
tragic  death  in  1562  left  Don  Piero  the  sole 
playmate  of  little  Eleanora — a  strange  act  of 
Providence. 

Duke  Cosimo  was  not  quite  inconsolable  for 
the  loss  of  his  Spanish  wife  ;  he  had,  during  her 
lifetime,  set  an  evil  example  in  Florence  for 
libertinage  and  unchastity.  Every  good-looking 
girl,  in  city  or  at  Court,  in  one  way  or  another, 
received  his  amorous  attentions ;  and  the  halo 
which  surrounded  his  first  acclamation  as  Duke, 
and  which  he  earned  well,  be  it  said,  became 
dimmed  by  the  execrations  of  many  disgraced 
and  suffering  households.  Men  and  women  saw 
the  bad  days  of  Duke  Alessandro  revived,  and 
Florence,  after  a  temporary  purgation,  became 
once  more  the  sink  of  iniquity. 

When  the  Duke  laid  aside,  in  1564,  his 
sovereignty,  it  was  that  he  might  give  reins  to 
his  passions,  and,  of  the  many  girls  he  ruined, 
probably  not  one  he  loved  better  or  longer  than 
Eleanora  degli  Albizzi.  At  Villa  del  Castello 
he  had  his  harem.  This  was  the  example  Cosimo 
de'  Medici  set  his  wayward,  precocious  son  Piero, 
and  the  lad  followed  it  to  his  heart's  content, 
until  his  escapades  became  so  notorious,  and 
raised  up  such  a  storm  of  resentment  amongst  the 
citizens,  that  his  father  was  forced  to  intervene. 

At  fifteen,  young  Piero  was  sent  off  to  Pisa 

and  attached  to  the  staff  of  the  Admiral  of  the 

Florentine    fleet,     Cavaliere    Cesare    Cavanglia. 

170 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

In  various  encounters  with  Turkish  galleons  and 
the  barques  of  buccaneers,  the  young  Medico 
proved  himself  no  coward — indeed  the  Admiral 
reported  of  him  most  favourably.  Well  for  his 
fame  had  Piero  remained  before  the  mast  and 
upon  the  quarter-deck. 

The  lad  was  practically  his  own  master,  and 
the  memories  of  Florentine  gallantries  filled  his 
mind  with  desires  for  their  resumption.  Two 
years  of  naval-military  discipline  were  quite 
enough  for  him,  and  he  returned  home  again. 
He  found  Donna  Eleanora  de  Garzia  a  grown 
woman  and  a  woman  of  the  world  ;  an  arrant 
flirt,  like  her  protectress,  the  Duchess  Isabella  ; 
dividinor  her  time  between  the  Villa  Pog^g^io 
Baroncelli  and  his  father's  villa  at  Castello. 

Rumours  of  illicit  intercourse  between  her  and 
the  Grand  Duke  were  current  all  over  Florence, 
and  evil  gossips  at  Court  affirmed  that  the  liaison 
had  been  of  long  continuance,  wherein,  too,  the 
Duchess  Isabella  was  herself  implicated.  Cosimo 
seems  to  have  been  conversant  with  the  tittle- 
tattle,  and,  fearing  the  evil  effect  it  might  have 
for  all  concerned,  determined  to  take  the  bull  by 
the  horns,  so  to  speak,  and  to  keep  the  scandal 
within  the  family. 

His  son  Piero — who  was  walking  closely  in 
his  father's  footsteps,  and  leading  a  free  and  fast, 
wild  life,  heavily  in  debt  and  habitually  intoxicated, 
and  the  companion  of  loose  women  and  gamesters 
— should   be    his    scapegoat.      He    would    marry 

171 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

him  to  his  cousin !  At  the  beginning  of  the 
negotiations  Piero  refused  stoutly  his  father's 
proposition,  asserting  his  intention  not  to  marry. 
By  dint  of  ample  offers  of  enlarged  pecuniary 
emoluments  and  by  tempting  promises  of  exculpa- 
tion from  the  consequences  of  his  lustful  extrava- 
gances, Piero  at  last  yielded  an  unwilling  assent 
to  the  betrothal.  How  far  he  was  influenced  by 
threats  we  can  well  imagine. 

Piero  de'  Medici  and  Eleonora  de  Garzia  de 
Toledo  were  married  in  the  private  chapel  of  the 
Pitti  Palace  on  the  morning  of  21st  April  1571. 
That  very  night  his  young  wife  revealed  the  fact 
that  she  was  enceinte,  and  she  named  his  father, 
Duke  Cosimo,  as  her  ravisher !  The  Prince  was 
too  much  taken  up  with  his  own  pleasure  to  care 
very  much  about  this  revelation  :  he  would  go  his 
own  way,  and  his  wife  might  go  hers — such  was 
the  morality  of  the  day !  Still,  this  discovery  was 
the  first  page  in  the  tragic  history  of  beautiful 
Eleanora  di  Piero  de'  Medici. 

Very  shortly  after  the  marriage  Eleanora, 
who  was  then  at  Pisa,  was  delivered  of  a  child, 
whom,  in  the  absence  of  her  husband,  she  named 
Cosimo — a  significant  nomenclature  !  She  caused 
letters  to  be  written  to  the  Grand  Duke  Francesco, 
her  brother-in-law,  to  acquaint  him  with  the 
birth  of  the  child,  and  to  crave  protection  for  his 
father  s  son  I 

Following  the  unhappy  example  of  Paolo 
d'Orsini    and     Isabella    de'     Medici,    and    being 

172 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

absolutely  their  own  masters,  Piero  and  Eleanora 
agreed  to  live  separate  lives — he,  a  boy  of  seven- 
teen and  she  just  eighteen.  What  more  dis- 
astrous beginning  can  be  imagined  for  two  young 
wedded  lives,  and  yet  it  was  inevitable.  Piero 
did  not  care  a  bit  for  Eleanora,  and  Eleanora 
hated  and  despised  Piero. 

The  marriage  was  but  a  brief  break  in  evil 
associations,  for  the  boy  returned  to  his  boon- 
companions  in  the  city,  and  the  girl  sought  the 
solace  of  her  lovers.  It  was  in  vain  the  Grand 
Duke  pointed  out  the  errors  of  their  ways — Piero 
retorted  with  a  '' Tu  quo  que  f rater  T'  He  had 
every  bit  as  much  right  to  console  himself  with 
a  mistress,  one  or  more,  as  Francesco  did  with 
his  "  Cosa  Bianca ! "  Moreover,  he  became 
urgent  in  his  demand  for  a  still  more  liberal 
allowance,  which  the  Grand  Duke  weakly  con- 
ceded— as  he  had  done  in  the  case  of  his  other 
grasping  brother,  the  Cardinal. 

Everything  and  everybody  at  the  Court  of 
Florence  seemed  to  be  demented.  To  enjoy  the 
basest  pleasures  and  to  indulge  in  the  foulest 
passions,  such  was  the  way  of  the  world  ;  and 
Eleanora  was  but  a  child  in  years,  but  a  woman 
in  experience — and  that  experience  not  for  the 
honour  of  her  life,  alas !  Sinned  against,  she 
sinned  like  the  rest.  How  could  a  lovely, 
talented,  warm-hearted  girl,  with  the  hot  blood 
of  Spanish  passion  coursing  through  her  veins, 
resist  the  admiration,   the  flattery,  and  the  em- 

173 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

braces  of  the  gay  young  cavaliers  of  the  Court  ? 
She  merely  followed  the  vogue,  she  was  no 
recluse;  and  when,  in  1575,  she  was  enrolled  as 
a  "  Soul "  in  the  Accademia  degli  Elevati,  she 
assumed  the  name  of  '' Ardente" — a  true  title 
— a  correct  epithet ! 

One  of  the  captains  of  the  palace  guard — 
himself  a  remarkably  handsome  and  gallant 
soldier — Francesco  Gaci,  had  a  prepossessing 
young  son,  Alessandro,  a  cadet  of  the  same 
regiment,  who  fell  violently  in  love  with  Don 
Piero's  fascinating  young  wife.  Unable  to 
restrain  his  boyish  ardour,  one  day  he  seized 
Donna  Eleanora's  hand,  covered  it  with  kisses, 
and  professed  himself  ready  to  die  for  love  of 
her.  The  Princess,  pining  for  love,  looked  with 
favour  upon  her  infatuated  lover,  and  granted 
him  something  of  what  he  wished. 

Alas,  for  love's  young  dream !  The  Grand 
Duke  caught  wind  of  it,  and  without  making  much 
ado,  promptly  stopped  the  intrigue.  Alessandro 
Gaci  was  removed  summarily  from  his  commission 
and  enclosed  in  the  monastery  of  Camaldoli ; 
whilst  to  the  Princess  was  administered  a  smart 
rebuke  and  warning. 

Eleanora's  haughty  spirit  rose  at  the  interfer- 
ence of  her  brother-in-law  in  matters  of  her  heart, 
and  she  determined  to  act  in  opposition  to  his 
commands.  She  had  scarcely  got  off  with  the 
old  love  before  she  was  on  with  the  new.  This 
time  she  appears  to  have  made  the  first  advance. 

174 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

At  all  events,  in  the  entourage  of  the  Grand 
Duchess  Giovanna,  was  an  attractive  and  youth- 
ful knight  of  the  Order  of  St  Stephen  of  Pisa — 
Duke  Cosimo's  new  naval-military  order.  He 
was  a  court  chamberlain  with  the  military  rank 
of  lieutenant — Bernardino,  the  son  of  Messer 
Sebastiano  degl'  Antinori,  who  had  translated 
Boccaccio's  works  for   Cosimo. 

The  young  cavaliere  had  the  misfortune  to 
kill,  quite  accidentally,  in  a  friendly  game  of 
"  CalciOy"  a  great  friend  of  his — Francesco  de' 
Ginori.  The  game  was  played  in  presence  of 
Princess  Eleanora  and  many  ladies  of  the  Court. 
Bernardino  wore  Eleanora's  favours,  as  he  usually 
did,  making  no  secret  of  his  passion  for  Don 
Piero's  neglected,  beauteous  wife,  and  of  the 
return  of  his  love  by  his  fair  innamorata — it  was 
indeed  the  talk  of  the  town. 

The  Ginori,  an  ancient  and  lordly  family, 
intimately  connected  with  the  Medici,  claimed 
satisfaction  at  the  hands  of  the  Grand  Duke  for 
what  they  chose  to  call  the  assassination  of  their 
young  relative.  Francesco  judged  that  the 
liaison  between  his  sister-in-law  and  the  so-called 
"assassin"  required  regulation,  especially  as  she 
had  failed  to  comply  with  his  previous  admonition. 
The  two  offences  would  be  best  judged  by  the 
banishment  of  the  cavaliere,  whose  rank  forbade 
his  inclusion  in  a  monastery.  Consequently 
Bernardino  was  sent  off,  under  guard,  to  a 
fortress  in  the  Isle  of  Elba,  and  Princess  Eleanora 

175 


The  Tragedies   of  the  Medici 

was  confined,  during  the  Grand  Duke's  pleasure, 
to  her  apartments  in  the  Medici  Palace. 

The  old  tale  that  "  love  laughs  at  locks  "  had 
now  one  fresh  telling !  An  amorous  correspond- 
ence began  between  the  parted  lovers,  which 
was  carried  on  for  a  considerable  time  without 
detection.  At  last  there  came  a  day  when  the 
secret  was  out,  through  the  carelessness  of 
Bernardino's  brother  Filippo — the  intermediary  in 
the  love  affair.  Watching  his  opportunity  of 
dropping  a  letter  into  the  hand  of  the  Princess, 
as  she  passed  through  the  corridor  connecting  the 
Pitti  and  the  Uffizi — ^just  completed  by  Duke 
Cosimo's  orders  —  Captain  Filippo  had  the 
curiosity  to  read  the  billet-doux  himself  He 
failed  to  notice  that  a  brother  officer  was  standing 
close  by,  who  also  glanced  at  the  contents  of  the 
letter. 

Captain  Giulio  Caccini  was  Master  of  Music 
and  conductor  of  the  palace  orchestra,  and  when 
he  had  a  favourable  opportunity  he  confided  to 
his  master  what  he  had  seen — doubtless  he  con- 
sidered himself  well  on  towards  the  receipt  of  a 
reward  for  his  mean  services. 

Francesco  was  furious :  he  might,  as  Sovereign, 
have  his  love  passages  with  whom  he  willed — 
although  be  it  said,  truly,  he  had  one  and  only 
one  love,  Bianca  Cappello  Buonaventuri — but  he 
could  not  tolerate  any  amours  between  a  princess 
of  his  house  and  a  subaltern  of  his  guard. 

Captain  Bernardino  was  ordered  to  be  brought 
176 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

back  to  Florence  immediately,  and,  after  a  stormy- 
interview  with  the  Grand  Duke,  he  was  consigned 
to  the  condemned  -  criminal  duno-eon  of  the 
Bargello. 

The  same  night  the  prisoner's  cell  was  entered 
by  a  Frate — a  confessor,  who  acquainted  him  that 
he  had  been  sentenced  to  death !  Expostulation 
was  vain,  and  his  asseverations  of  innocence  and 
promises  of  submission  to  the  Grand  Duke's  will 
were  rudely  interrupted  by  the  appearance  of  the 
headsman  !  Forced  upon  his  knees,  the  unhappy 
young  officer  mumbled  out  his  confession,  and 
then  the  executioner,  passing  a  stout  cord  about 
his  throat,  strangled  him — struggling  and  crying 
out  piteously  for  mercy ! 

When  Antinorio  was  dead,  Francesco  was 
informed,  and,  sending  for  Eleanora,  he  told  her 
what  had  become  of  her  second  lover,  and  warned 
her  that  a  like  fate  might  easily  be  hers  if  Don 
Piero  was  made  acquainted  with  the  intrigue — 
surely  a  fell  prophecy  of  coming  tragedy !  Piero, 
too,  was  sent  for  to  the  palace,  and  again 
reprimanded  for  his  evil  life  and  for  his  cruel 
desertion  of  his  charming  young  wife.  He  took 
his  brother's  words  in  an  entirely  wrong  sense, 
abused  him  soundly  for  his  interference,  and  left 
his  presence  in  a  violent  passion. 

At  once  he  caused  an  intimation  to  be  made 

to  the  Princess  that  he  wished  to  see  her  about 

a  matter  which  concerned  them  both  intimately, 

and  required  her  to  meet  him  out  at  the  Villa  di 

M  177 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Cafaggiuolo.  It  was  the  20th  of  July,  in  the  year 
1576,  that  Eleanora  received  her  husband's 
commands — just  ten  days  after  the  brutal  murder 
of  her  lover — during  the  course  of  which  she 
gave  way  to  uncontrolled  grief.  This  summons 
she  knew  presaged  dire  consequences  to  herself, 
and  she  had  no  friend  to  seek  for  consolation  and 
advice.  The  Grand  Duke  was  out  of  the  question, 
and  Duchess  Isabella  d'Orsini,  who  had  proved 
herself  no  friend  of  good  omen,  was  in  a  plight 
very  much  like  her  own ! 

No,  she  had  to  fight  the  battle  of  her  life  and 
death  alone,  this  girl  of  twenty-three.  She  replied 
that  she  was  quite  prepared  to  meet  Piero,  but 
she  asked  for  a  short  delay.  She  spent  it  in 
weeping  by  the  cradle  of  her  little  son,  Cosimo, 
and  arranging  her  worldly  affairs — she  was  quite 
prepared  for  the  worst. 

Leaving  Florence  in  the  middle  of  a  hot 
summer's  day,  the  course  to  Cafaggiuolo  was  try- 
ing to  her  horses — one  indeed  fell  and  died  on  the 
way — an  evil  omen  for  poor  Eleanora !  As  night 
was  coming  on  she  reached  the  villa,  more  dead 
than  alive  with  fright,  and  accompanied  only  by 
two  faithful  ladies  of  her  household.  To  their 
surprise  the  house  appeared  to  be  deserted  :  there 
were  no  lights  in  the  windows,  and  no  one  seemed 
to  be  about. 

The  great  doors  were  wide  open,  and  with 
much  trepidation  the  Princess  mounted  the  marble 
steps.     The  door  of  every  room  also  was  open  and 

178 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

the  arras  pulled  aside,  but  nowhere  could  she  see 
or  hear  her  husband.  Very  uncanny  everything 
felt,  the  silence  was  almost  suffocating,  and  the 
darkness  threw  weird  shadows  athwart  her  and 
her  companions. 

At  the  entrance  of  the  room,  which  she  deemed 
to  be  Piero's — they  had  never  cohabited  there,  or 
indeed  anywhere,  she  knew  not  where  he  slept — 
Eleanora  paused,  affrighted.  She  had  heard  a 
rustle !  she  had  seen  something !  it  was  a  hand 
held  beyond  the  arras  ! — and  there  was  a  poignard 
within  its  grasp ! 

E'er  she  could  cry  out  or  take  a  step  back- 
wards, a  sudden,  savage  blow  struck  her  breast — 
she  fell ! — stabbed  to  death !  The  hand  was  the 
hand  of  Piero  de'  Medici ! 

Eleanora  was  dead !  Her  life's  blood  crim- 
soned, in  a  gory  stream,  the  marble  lintel,  and 
Piero  gazed  at  the  victim  of  his  desertion,  lust, 
and  hate — he  was  mad ! 

Kneeling  upon  his  knees  in  the  hellish  dark- 
ness, he  tried  to  stanch  that  ruddy  stream.  Then 
he  laved  his  hands  in  her  hot  blood  and  conveyed 
some  to  his  raging  lips !  Reason  presently  asserted 
herself ;  and,  throwing  himself  prostrate  along  the 
floor,  he  banged  his  head,  thereupon  calling  out 
in  a  frenzy  of  remorse  for  mercy  for  his  deed ! 

"God  of  Heaven,"  he  pleaded,  "judge  be- 
tween my  wife  and  me — I  vow  that  I  will  do 
penance  for  my  deed,  and  never  wed  again." 

The  short  summer's  night  early  gave  place  to 
179 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

the  dawn — not  rosy  that  sad  morning,  but  over- 
cast— gloom  was  in  everything.  Piero  was  still 
praying  by  his  dead  wife's  side  when  the  tramp  of 
footsteps  upon  the  gravel  outside  the  house  fell 
upon  his  ears.  Swiftly  he  ran  and  closed  the 
entrance-doors,  and  then  calling  in  a  creature  of 
his  —  a  base-born  77tedico  —  he  ordered  him  to 
make,  there  and  then,  an  autopsy  of  the  corpse, 
and  report  according  to  his  express  instructions. 

"  Death  from  heart  failure  and  the  rupture  of 
an  artery,"  such  ran  the  medical  certificate  of 
death !  Miserable  Eleanora  di  Piero  de'  Medici 
was  buried  ceremoniously  in  the  family  vault  at 
San  Lorenzo,  and  Piero  made  a  full  confession 
to  his  brother,  the  Grand  Duke. 

Francesco  counselled  him  to  leave  Florence  at 
once,  and  seek  a  temporary  home  at  the  Court  of 
Madrid,  where  he  might  inform  his  kinsman  by 
marriage — the  King  of  Spain — of  the  truth  about 
Eleanora's  death.  It  was  reported  at  the  time 
that  Piero  gained  possession  of  Eleanora's  child, 
Cosimo,  and  took  him  away  with  him  from  Flor- 
ence ;  but  what  became  of  the  unfortunate  little 
fellow  no  one  ever  knew — probably  he  went  home 
to  his  mother  in  Paradise  just  to  be  out  of  the 
way ! 

Don  Piero  was  appointed  by  King  Philip  to  a 
command  in  the  war  with  Portugal,  but,  whilst  he 
distinguished  himself  by  bravery  and  ability  dur- 
ing the  campaign,  on  his  return  to  Madrid  he 
began  the  evil  life  he  had  left  behind  in  Florence. 

1 80 


PIERO    DE'    MEDICI. 

Youngest  son  of  Cosimo  I.     fAngelo  Brcnzino.i 

riFlZI    GALLIZRV,    FLOK]-;XCE. 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

The  religiously  disposed  courtiers  were  shocked 
and  outraged  by  his  enormities,  and,  at  last,  the 
King  requested  his  unwelcome  visitor  to  go  back 
to  Tuscany. 

The  Grand  Duke  very  unwillingly  allowed 
Piero  to  settle  once  more  in  Florence.  His  house 
in  the  Via  Larga — it  had  been  occupied  by  the 
scapegrace  assassin,  Lorenzino— ragain  was  a  nur- 
sery of  immorality,  as  well  as  the  headquarters  of 
the  enemies  of  his  brother.  Piero  became  the 
ally  of  the  scheming  Cardinal  Ferdinando,  but  his 
depraved  and  evil  life  was  to  the  end  given  over 
to  the  basest  uses  of  human  nature,  and  he  died 
miserably,  as  he  well  deserved,  in  1604,  having 
outlived  his  second  wife — Beatrice,  daughter  of 
the  Spanish  Duke  of  Meneses — two  years.  Of 
legitimate  offspring  he  left  none,  but  there  survived 
him  eight  natural  children  by  two  Spanish  nuns 
in  the  grand  ducal  convent  of  the  Santa  Assunta 
delle  Murate. 

After  the  death  of  Maria,  his  eldest  daughter, 
Duke  Cosimo  centred  his  paternal  affection  in  his 
second  daughter,  Isabella  Romola.  She  was  born 
in  1542,  just  a  year  younger  than  his  eldest  son, 
Francesco  Maria.  Her  Spanish  name  endeared 
her  especially  to  the  Duchess  Eleanora,  who  built 
many  "  Castelli  en  EspaSia  "  for  her  child. 

The  young  Princess  was  a  bonnie,  precocious 
little  girl.  At  her  christening  it  was  said,  greatly 
to    his    embarrassment,    she    kissed    the    ascetic 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

bishop  who  held  her  at  the  font ;  this  was  taken 
as  an  omen  of  her  success  in  the  service  of 
Prince  Cupid !  Brought  up  with  her  two  sisters 
and  her  brothers,  Francesco  and  Giovanni,  she 
very  early  gave  evidence  of  charming  and  peculiar 
talent. 

Merry  as  a  bird  and  playful  as  a  kitten,  the 
young  girl  was  singing,  singing  the  livelong  day, 
and  dancing  with  the  utmost  grace  and  freedom. 
She  greatly  astonished  her  parents  by  her  musical 
gifts  and  by  her  talent  as  an  improvvisatrice.  She 
composed,  when  only  ten  years  of  age,  some 
really  excellent  canzone  and,  more  than  this,  she 
set  them  to  her  own  tunes  for  the  lute  and  pipe, 
and  arranged  a  very  graceful  ballet. 

At  Court,  Isabella  was  now  known  as  ''  Bianca 
la  SecondaJ'  her  attainments  and  her  person 
recalling  those  of  Bianca,  "the  tall  daughter" 
of  Piero  and  Lucrezia  de'  Medici.  She  had,  as 
well,  a  remarkable  taste  for  languages  :  she  rivalled 
her  sister  Maria  in  Latin,  which  she  wrote  and 
spoke  with  ease.  Spanish  seemed  to  come  to  her 
naturally,  greatly  to  the  delight  of  her  mother  the 
Duchess,  and  French  she  acquired  with  similar 
success. 

With  her  facile  pen  she  could  design  and 
draw  what  she  willed,  with  as  great  freedom  as 
she  applied  to  musical  notation.  Indeed,  there 
seemed  to  be  no  art  in  which  she  could  not  dis- 
tinguish herself,  and  she  received  encouragement 
from  all   the  most  famous  artists  of  her  father's 

182 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Court.  One  of  her  panegyrists  has  written  thus 
of  Princess  Isabella :  "  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  she 
was  esteemed  by  all — strangers  as  well  as  those 
about  her — a  perfect  casket  of  virtue  and  know- 
ledge. She  was  greatly  beloved,  not  only  by 
her  parents,  but  by  the  whole  of  the  people  of 
Florence." 

Added  to  her  mental  accomplishments,  which 
developed  with  her  physical  growth,  the  Princess 
exhibited  all  the  charm  of  a  beautiful  face  and 
graceful  figure,  and,  when  she  reached  the  ripe 
age, — for  Florence, — of  twelve,  she  was  the  most 
lovely  and  attractive  young  girl  in  Italy.  Reports 
of  her  beauty  and  talent  were  current  in  all  the 
Courts  of  Europe,  and  many  princely  fathers  of 
eligible  sons  made  inquiries  about  her  fortune ; 
whilst  many  an  amorous  young  Prince  found  his 
way  to  Florence,  to  judge  for  himself  of  the 
charms  of  the  fair  young  girl. 

Duke  Cosimo  was  not  the  man  to  give  his 
comely  daughter  away  at  random :  indeed  he 
cherished  the  thought  of  keeping  her  in  Florence 
and  by  his  side,  so  courtly  refusals  of  proffered 
hands,  and  hearts,  and  crowns,  were  dealt  out  to 
one  and  all  the  suitors.  Pope  Paul  IV.,  who 
was  on  the  best  of  terms  with  Duke  Cosimo,  and 
never  forgot  what  he  owed  in  his  elevation  to  the 
Papal  throne  to  his  friend's  influence,  conceived 
a  matrimonial  project  for  youthful  Isabella.  At 
his  Court  was  a  young  man  of  illustrious  descent, 
good  attainments,    the  heir  to  vast  possessions. 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

and  a  devoted  adherent  of  the  Holy  See — Paolo 
Giordano  d'Orsini. 

The  Orsini  were  split  up  into  many  branches, 
but  the  family  was  one  of  the  most  ancient  and 
honourable  in  Rome.  Signore  Girolamo  d'Orsini, 
father  of  Paolo  Giordano,  was  lord  of  Bracciano 
and  Anguillaria,  and  of  the  country  around  Civita 
Vecchia.  When  only  twelve  years  old,  he  had 
been  named  by  Pope  Leo  X.  to  the  honorary 
command  of  a  Papal  regiment  of  cavalry.  •  When 
still  in  his  teens  the  youth  served  with  distinction 
in  France  and  in  the  Neapolitan  war ;  and,  on 
attaining  his  majority,  he  was  sent  with  a  detach- 
ment of  troops  to  the  assistance  of  the  Emperor 
Charles  V.,  in  the  devastating  war  against  the 
Turks  in  Hungary. 

Created  General  and  Marquis  by  the  Emperor, 
the  young  commander  returned  to  Rome  in  1537, 
and  took  up  his  position  as  the  acknowledged 
head  of  his  family.  He  married  Francesca, 
daughter  of  Bosso  Sforza,  heiress  of  the  Counts 
of  Anguillaria.  Three  sons  and  a  daughter  were 
born  to  them. 

Paolo  Giordano,  born  1539,  was  adopted  by 
his  maternal  uncle.  Carlo,  Cardinal  Sforza  da  Santa 
Fiora,  and  became  a  protdg6  of  Paul  IV.  Follow- 
ing his  father's  profession  of  arms,  he  saw  military 
service  in  Spain,  but  was  recalled  to  Rome  by 
the  death  of  both  his  parents.  On  succession 
to  the  family  estates  the  Pope  created  the  Lordship 
of  Bracciano  a   Duchy,  and  sent  a  message  to 

184 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Duke  Cosimo,  commending  the  young  soldier  to 
his  notice,  and  suggesting  a  matrimonial  alliance 
with  one  of  his  daughters. 

Cosimo  looked  with  favour  upon  the  Pope's 
proposition,  and  asked  the  young  Duke  to  pay 
the  Florentine  Court  a  visit.  The  young  people 
seemed  made  for  one  another  :  he  was  handsome, 
brave  and  rich,  she  was  beautiful,  talented,  and 
lovable.  Perhaps  it  was  a  case  of  love  at  first 
sight,  anyhow  they  were  betrothed  in  1555,  with 
the  proviso  that  the  nuptial  knot  should  not  be 
tied  until  Isabella  had  attained  her  sixteenth 
year. 

In  due  course  the  marriage-contract  was  drawn 
up,  signed  and  sealed,  but  it  contained  a  con- 
dition which  was  as  unnatural  as  it  was  impolitic. 
Duke  Cosimo  insisted  that  his  dearly-beloved 
daughter  should  make  his  house  her  home  for  at 
least  six  months  each  year,  and  only  pay  occasional 
visits  to  her  husband's  palace  in  Rome !  Duke 
Paolo,  quite  rightly,  resented  this  questionable 
arrangement,  and  only  agreed  at  last  on  pressure 
from  the  Pope. 

Whatever  made  Cosimo  take  such  a  weird 
course  no  one  can  really  say,  although  horrible 
rumours  were  indeed  rife  in  Florence  about  the  rela- 
tions between  father  and  child !  It  was,  however,  a 
fatal  bar  to  all  marital  happiness,  and  led  to  the 
one  and  only  possible  d^noue?nent  —  tragedy. 
Certainly  the  Duke  bestowed  upon  the  young 
couple    the    splendid    estate    and    villa    of    the 

185 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Baroncelli,  which  had  come  into  his  hands,  and 
which  he  enlarged  and  surrounded  with  a  park. 
He  added  a  munificent  endowment  and  had  the 
villa  refurnished  and  redecorated  throughout,  ac- 
cording to  his  son-in-law's  wishes. 

The  marriage  was  celebrated  on  3rd  September 
1558  in  the  private  chapel  of  the  Pitti  Palace, — a 
Saturday,  always  considered,  in  Florence,  an  un- 
lucky day  for  a  wedding, — a  few  months  after  that 
of  Prince  Alfonso  d'Este's  to  Isabella's  younger 
sister — Lucrezia.  After  a  brief  honeymoon  spent 
at  their  villa  the  youthful  bride  and  bridegroom 
separated — an  ominous  repetition  of  a  fateful 
error.  Truth  to  tell,  Duke  Paolo  took  an  intense 
dislike  to  his  father-in-law  :  he  distrusted  him  both 
in  relation  to  his  affection  for  Isabella,  and  also 
with  respect  to  his  tyrannical  character  generally. 
Florence  also  and  the  Florentines  were  distasteful 
in  their  excesses  of  ill-living,  cruelty,  and  chicanery 
— not  that  the  Court  of  Rome  was  a  Paradise,  or 
the  young  man  a  St  Anthony ! 

The  Duke  went  back  to  Rome  and  resumed 
his  ordinary  life  there,  without  bearing  with  him 
any  of  the  wholesome  leaven  of  matrimony — a 
husband  in  name,  and  little  more.  Duchess 
Isabella,  a  mere  child,  wanton  and  wilful  more 
than  most,  was  thus  left  the  uncontrolled  mistress 
of  a  princely  establishment,  with  no  marital  check 
to  regulate  her  conduct.  Surely  as  unstable  a 
condition,  and  as  conducive  to  infidelity,  as  can 


well  be  imagined. 


1 86 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Before  leaving  his  wife  at  Poggio  Baroncelli, 
Duke  Paolo  appointed  her  household,  and  made 
every  provision  for  her  comfort.  A  cousin  of 
his,  Cavaliere  Troilo  d'Orsini,  was  placed  in 
charge  of  the  Duchess  as  Chamberlain,  or  quasi- 
guardian — another  false  step,  and  embarrassing 
for  all  parties.  He  was  a  handsome  and  accom- 
plished man,  avowedly  unmarried,  young  and  ot 
a  sympathetic  disposition,  and  manifestly  not  at 
all  the  sort  of  person  to  place  upon  terms  of  such 
close  relationship  with  the  attractive  young 
Duchess. 

Under  its  fascinating  Castellana  the  Baroncelli 
villa  became  a  busy  little  Court,  the  scene  of 
constant  festivities,  gossip,  and  intrigue.  Her 
mother's  Court  at  the  Pitti  was  quite  second  in 
attractiveness.  Duchess  Eleanora  if  virtuous  and 
conscientious,  was  rather  dull  and  uninteresting. 
She  cared  much  more  for  her  Spanish  connections 
than  for  her  Florentine  courtiers :  much  of  her 
time  she  spent  in  the  Cappella  degli  Spagnioli  at 
Santa  Maria  Novella.  What  time  she  spared 
from  her  devotions  she  occupied  in  the  establish- 
ment and  patronage  of  the  Accademia  degli  Elevati 
— "  Souls,"  for  the  encouragement  of  poetry. 

Duchess  Isabella  d'Orsini  was  hailed  as  "-La 
Nuova  Saffo  "  by  those  who  gathered  round  her. 
She  was  by  nature  an  arrant  flirt — as  most  pretty 
women  are — for  she  inherited  her  father's  amorous 
disposition  ;  and  she  was  impulsive, — an  added 
charm  where  beauty  reigns, — worldly-minded,  and 

i87 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

dreadfully  extravagant ;  moreover,  she  dressed  to 
perfection. 

The  Duke  of  Bracciano  paid  rare  visits  to 
Florence,  but  the  Duchess,  in  compliance  with 
her  marriage-contract,  spent  a  portion  of  each 
t  year  with  her  husband  in  Rome.  These  visits 
were  not  occasions  of  happiness  and  satisfaction. 
The  two  had  scarcely  any  interests  in  common, 
and  the  infrequency  of  intercourse  entailed  un- 
familiarity  and  embarrassment.  The  good-byes 
were  never  unwelcome  on  either  side ! 

The  Duke  took  up,  once  more,  his  military 
duties,  following  in  the  footsteps  of  his  father  as 
commander,  in  1566,  of  a  division  of  the  Imperial 
army  against  the  Turks.  For  his  bravery  at  the 
battle  of  Lepanto,  he  was  made  Field-Marshal  of 
the  Emperor  and  a  Count  of  the  Holy  Roman 
Empire.  In  other  respects  he  had  his  consolations 
for  his  enforced  separation  from  his  wife — and 
Isabella,  naturally,  had  hers  too ! 

It  was  said  that  every  man  fell  in  love  with 
her,  and  she,  on  her  part,  did  not  restrain  her 
passion.  There  was  no  one  to  advise,  no  one  to 
check,  no  one  to  help  her  to  keep  in  the  path  of 
wifely  fidelity.  Reports  of  liaisons  were  made  to 
the  Duke  by  his  Chamberlain  from  time  to  time, 
but  these  were  couched  in  words  which  concealed 
his  own  part  therein.  He  and  the  Duchess  were 
accustomed  to  be  much  alone  together.  He  was 
a  musician  and  a  linguist,  a  scholar  and  an  artist 
like   herself,    and   a    most   attractive   companion. 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

She  helped  him  in  his  great  literary  work — 
Lezione  della  Lingua  Toscana — perhaps  the  only- 
serious  occupation  she  ever  undertook. 

An  intimacy,  with  such  a  similarity  of  tastes, 
ripened  naturally  into  a  romantic  attachment — 
certainly  quite  in  accord  with  the  tenets  of  Platonic 
humanism,  and  perhaps  something  morp!  That 
Duke  Paolo  was  conversant  with  the  relations  of  his 
wife  with  his  cousin  was  well  known,  but  he  made 
no  complaint,  and  took  no  action  to  check  them. 
Likely  enough  he  had  that  "easy-going  contempt 
of  everything  and  everybody "  which  Niccolo 
Macchiavelli  has  stigmatised  as  the  prevailing 
tone  of  Italian  society. 

Probably  the  sad  deaths  of  Princess  Maria  and 
Duchess  Lucrezia  d'Este^  and  the  tragic  events  in 
the  Maremma  of  1562,  affected  Isabella  greatly, 
but  they  only  tended  to  increase  her  husband's 
detestation  for  everything  Florentine.  No  doubt 
he  judged  that  Cosimo's  hand  slew  both  Maria 
and  Garzia — might  it  not  strike  Isabella  or  him- 
self! When  a  man,  in  an  autocratic  position 
such  as  that  made  by  Cosimo  I.,  yields  to  un- 
guarded passion,  reason  and  right  alike  are  at 
a  discount.  Isabella's  husband  had  taken  the 
measure  of  her  father — alas,  that  he  was  destined 
to  follow  his  example ! 

For  Isabella  a  new  interest  was  created  when, 
in  1564,  Bianca  Buonaventuri  became  '^  Lacosa  di 
Francesco,'' — her  brother.  She,  so  to  speak,  clasped 
the  lovely  young  Venetian  to  her  bosom.     She 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

entered  into  the  romance  of  the  elopement,  and  of 
her  brother's  infatuation,  with  all  her  heart.  Isa- 
bella de'  Medici  and  Bianca  Cappello-Buona- 
venturi  became  inseparable  friends. 

During  Duchess  Eleanora's  life  the  gaieties 
and  the  follies  of  the  court  had  been  kept  within 
something  like  bounds,  but  she  had  hardly  been 
laid  in  her  tomb  within  San  Lorenzo  than  Duke 
Cosimo  gave  reins  to  his  passions,  and  the  Palazzo 
Pitti  and  the  various  Medicean  villas  became  the 
scenes  of  unbridled  lust  and  depravity.  In  1564 
the  Duke  deputed  most  of  his  sovereign  power 
to  his  son  Francesco,  who  became  Regent  and 
virtual  ruler  of  Tuscany. 

The  grave  scandals  which  distracted  Floren- 
tine society  began  to  raise  up  in  the  minds  of  the 
people  violent  antipathy  for  a  Sovereign  whose 
private  example  was  so  abominable,  and  whose 
discharge  of  public  duties  was  so  basely  marked 
by  turpitude.  A  revolution  of  a  drastic  descrip- 
tion seemed  to  be  inevitable,  and,  really,  Cosimo 
had  no  other  course  than  abdication. 

The  Florentine  rendering  and  observance  of 
Platonism  favoured  illicit  connections  between  the 
sexes.  The  palaces  of  the  nobles  and  of  the 
wealthy  merchants  were  nothing  more  or  less 
than  harems.  The  manners  and  traditions  of  the 
Orient  took  root,  not  only  in  Florence,  but  in  all 
the  other  Italian  States,  and  the  normal  strictness 
and  restrictions  of  lawful  married  life  had  every- 
where all  but  disappeared.     Every  household,  not 

190 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

only  of  the  noble  but  also  of  the  middle  class,  had 
among  its  number  a  cicisbeo,  or  two  or  more, — 
"unofficial  wives" — we  may  call  them,  possessed 
of  almost  equal  rights  and  position  as  the  lawful 
spouses. 

The  great  event  of  the  year  1562  was  the 
marriage  of  Prince  Francesco  and  the  Arch- 
duchess Giovanna  d'Austria.  Quite  certainly  the 
Duke  and  Duchess  of  Bracciano  were  among- 
the  notable  personages  present  at  the  nuptials. 
Indeed  that  year  the  Duke  spent  more  of  his  time 
than  usual  in  Florence,  and  was  very  busy  buying 
and  rebuilding  the  Villa  Cerreto  Guidi,  and  laying 
out  the  park  and  gardens — the  former  for  the  pur- 
suit of  deer-hunting,  the  latter  by  way  of  rivalry 
to  Pratolino — Francesco  and  Bianca's  plaisance. 

The  Grand  Duchess  Giovanna  was  something 
like  her  predecessor,  Duchess  Eleanora,  a  serious- 
minded  sort  of  woman,  with  no  pretensions  to 
beauty  or  ability,  not  at  all  the  sort  of  sovereign 
for  that  gay  and  dissolute  court.  The  beau  monde 
took  themselves  off  to  the  Orte  Oricellari — to  pay 
their  devotions  to  the  lovely  Venetian  mistress  of 
their  Sovereign  ;  and  to  Poggio  Baroncelli — where 
Duchess  Isabella  reigned  as  queen  of  fashion  and 
frivolity. 

Cosimo  and  Cammilla  de'  Martelli — whom  he 

married  secretly  and  took  away  to  his  favourite 

Villa  del   Castello — lived   in  strict  retreat,  rarely 

came  into   Florence,   and  kept  no  sort  of  state. 

191 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

At  the  same  time  two  sons  of  his  were  sources  of 
keen  anxiety. 

Ferdinando,  born  1 549,  was  now  wearing  the 
Cardinal's  red  hat,  which  hapless  young  Garzia's 
huntine-knife  had  caused  to  fall  from  his  brother 
Giovanni's  head  in  the  Maremma.  Ambitious, 
jealous,  but,  perhaps,  less  depraved  than  his  father, 
the  Cardinal  de'  Medici  made  no  secret  of  his  dis- 
like of  his  brother  Francesco  and  his  innamorata, 
Bianca  Buonaventuri.  He  became  a  thorn  in 
his  father's  and  brother's  sides  on  account  of  his 
extortionate  and  presumptuous  demands.  His 
young  stepmother — only  two  years  his  senior — 
favoured  his  pretensions,  and  so  brought  trouble 
upon  herself,  as  we  shall  see  later  on. 

Piero,  Cosimo's  youngest  legitimate  son,  was 
but  a  boy  of  fourteen  when  his  father  married  his 
second  wife.  Of  course  she  was  far  too  young 
and  inexperienced  to  be  of  any  use  in  guiding  his 
growth  and  tastes. 

The  Court  was  thus  divided  :  the  two  parties 
were  headed  respectively  by  the  Grand  Duchess 
Giovanna,  the  titular  Grand  Duchess-dowager, — 
so  to  call  Cammilla, — with  the  Cardinal  de'  Medici ; 
and  by  Bianca  Cappello  di  Pietro  Buonaventuri 
and  Duchess  Isabella  of  Bracciano. 

With  respect  to  the  latter  coterie,  its  influence 
was  vastly  augmented  by  the  assassination  of  Pietro 
Buonaventuri  in  1572.  Duchess  Isabella  gave 
her  whole  heart's  support  to  the  beauteous  young 
widow.     She  wrote   to  her  the  most  affectionate 

192 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

letters,  in  one  of  which,  if  not  in  more,  she  says 
she  loves  Bianca  "  more  than  sister,"  and  bids  her 
retain  her  position  as  "  the  loving  helper  of  my 
brother." 

Bianca  heartily  returned  her  "  more  than  a 
sister's "  affection,  and  she  repeatedly  spoke  of 
Duchess  Isabella  in  her  letters  to  her  cousins  in 
Venice.  **  I  had,"  she  says,  for  example,  on  17th 
July  1574,  "the  illustrious  Domina  Isabella  to 
dine  with  me  in  my  garden,  and  with  her  came 
my  good  friends  her  brother  Don  Piero  and  his 
young  wife.  ..."  Beautiful,  accomplished,  and 
light-hearted,  Isabella  and  Bianca  were  the  dearest 
and  most  constant  of  companions.  They  lived 
apparently  only  for  admiration  and  adulation,  but 
the  Duchess'  position  was  infinitely  more  free  and 
unconventional  than  that  of  the  Venetian  :  the 
latter  lived  for  one  man's  love  alone — Francesco 
— Isabella  dispensed  her  favours  where  she  willed  ! 

Duke  Paolo  grew  suspicious  of  his  wife's 
liberty  of  action.  His  protests,  at  first  couched 
in  deprecatory  language,  were  met  with  girlish 
insouciance;  but,  when  he  began  to  complain 
arrogantly,  Isabella  replied  with  spirit  and  deter- 
mination. His  jealous  reprimands  were  met  by 
like  charges  and,  truth  to  tell,  there  was  not  a  pin 
to  choose  between  the  two. 

The  Grand  Duke  Cosimo  before  his  death  in 
1574,  and  the  Grand  Duke  Francesco,  were  alike 
irritated  by  Bracciano's  cool,  calculating  conduct ; 
and   both  upheld    Isabella  against  her  husband's 

N  193 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

ill-humour  and  harsh  judgments.  Duke  Paolo, 
however,  kept  his  own  counsel,  and  by  means  of 
spies  discovered  that  Troilo  d'Orsini's  monthly 
reports  were  at  least  open  to  doubt  as  to  their 
truthfulness  with  respect  to  his  wife's  conduct  in 
private.  Matters,  however,  drifted — he  was  too 
intent  upon  his  own  affairs  in  Rome  and  elsewhere 
to  disturb  rudely  the  state  of  things  at  Poggio 
Baroncelli. 

His  suspicions  at  length  were  brusquely  con- 
firmed, and  the  uneasy  peace  of  evil  deeds  was 
broken  by  portentous  news  from  Florence.  A 
courier  in  his  pay  arrived  one  evening,  in  July 
1576,  breathless,  at  the  Bracciano  Palace,  with  the 
intelligence  that  the  trusty  chamberlain  had 
stabbed  to  the  heart  an  attractive  young  page, 
Lelio  Torello,  attached  to  the  household  of  the 
Grand  Duke  ;  and  had,  moreover,  at  once  taken 
flight  precipitately  from  the  Villa ! 

Bracciano  knew  exactly  what  this  purported — 
young  Torello  was  a  lover  of  his  wife  as  well  as 
Troilo  d'Orsini !  Without  a  moment's  delay,  he 
started  off  for  Florence  to  tax  the  Duchess  with 
unfaithfulness.  At  the  Porta  Romana  he  was 
staggered  by  the  news  which  greeted  him — Piero 
de'  Medici  had  killed  his  wife,  Eleanora  de  Garzia 
de  Toledo,  at  Cafaggiuolo ! 

He  tarried  not  to  pay  his  respects  to  the 
Grand  Duke  and  Grand  Duchess  at  the  Palazzo 
Pitti  hard  by,  but  galloped  off  post-haste  to  his 
wife's  villa,  and,  unannounced,  surprised  Isabella 

194 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

in  the  midst  of  preparations  for  a  sudden  journey ! 
If,  as  some  maintained,  she  meant  to  follow  her 
fleeing  lover,  Troilo,  at  all  events  she  was  deter- 
mined to  seek  the  Court  of  France,  and  throw 
herself  upon  the  sympathy  of  Queen  Caterina, 
her  kinswoman,  and  crave  her  protection  for  her- 
self and  her  babe ! 

Several  letters  had  already  passed  between 
the  two  illustrious  women.  Isabella,  on  her  part, 
says :  "I  have  asked  pardon  of  God  for  my  sins, 
and  have  resolved  to  let  things  take  their  course  "  ; 
but  she  implores  Catherine  to  protect  her  little 
son.  In  the  last  of  these  letters  she  writes : — 
"  Let  your  Majesty  think  of  this  letter  as  the  last 
words  of  a  person  bound  to  you  by  the  ties  of 
blood,  and  consider  them  as  the  confidence  of  one 
who  is  about  to  die,  resigned  and  repentant,  who 
otherwise  could  only  end  her  life  in  despair  and 
desperation." 

The  Duke  judged  his  wife  guilty,  before  she 
had  offered  any  explanation  of  the  tragic  doings 
at  the  Villa,  and  his  impulse  was  to  dishonour 
her  before  her  whole  household.  The  spirit  of 
duplicity,  which  had  haunted  their  married  life, 
during  eighteen  random  years  of  misunderstand- 
ing, distaste  and  estrangement,  still  ruled  them 
both — but  Bracciano  restrained  his  passion  for 
a  while. 

He  noted  the  preparations  for  hasty  flight — 
indicative  of  Isabella's  guilt — but,  what  more  than 
all  else  enraged  him  almost  beyond  the  power  of 

195 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

self-control,  was  the  cry  of  an  infant  within 
Isabella's  apartments !  That  child  was  not  his. 
Whose  was  it  ? 

Isabella  met  her  husband  perfectly  unabashed, 
and,  if  she  expected  an  immediate  explosion,  she 
was  agreeably  though  somewhat  misgivingly 
surprised  at  his  cordial  greeting.  He  asked  her 
where  she  was  going,  and  suggested  that  they 
should  go  away  together.  Isabella  of  course 
prevaricated — truth  is  a  negative  quality  between 
those  who  doubt  each  other !  Then,  to  her  great 
surprise,  Bracciano  began  to  express  himself  in 
terms  at  once  tender  and  apologetic. 

"The  faults,  and  faults  there  are,  have  been 
all  on  my  side,"  he  said,  "but  I  wish  to  alter  all 
this  and  begin  a  new  course,  happy,  and  well- 
regulated.  I  suggest  that  bygones  be  bygones, 
and  that  we  mutually  agree  to  bury  the  past. 
Let  us,  Isabella,  begin  an  entirely  new  course 
of  life  and  live  henceforth  only  for  each  other." 
His  fair  words  were  matched  by  the  mild  expres- 
sion he  contrived  to  put  into  his  face,  and, 
although  the  Duchess  distrusted  them,  or  at  least 
her  sense  of  hearing,  she  met  his  advances  hand- 
somely. 

The  day  passed  over  pleasantly,  the  rapproche- 
ment seemed  to  be  real  and  sincere,  and  when 
the  Duke  invited  her  to  accompany  him  upon 
a  hunting  expedition  to  Cerreto  Guidi,  on  the 
morrow,  his  wife  expressed  her  pleasure  and 
acquiescence.      He   himself  set    off  early  in    the 

196 


ISABELLA    DE'    MEDICL    Duchess  of  Bracciano. 
Second  Daughter  of  Cosimo  L 

From  an  engraving  by  Pietro  Antonio  Pazzi,  1761. 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

day,  it  was   loth  July,  and  he  asked  Isabella  to 
follow  with  her  maidens  leisurely. 

Whether  from  innate  distrustfulness,  or  pres- 
age of  coming  evil,  the  Duchess  put  off  her 
journey  till  quite  late,  and  only  arrived  there  as 
night  was  coming  on.  At  the  entrance  to  the 
Villa  the  Duke  met  her,  holding  in  a  leash  two 
splendid  hare-hounds,  which  he  begged  her  to 
accept  and  use  on  the  morrow. 

The  dinner-party  was  numerous  and  merry, 
but  not  one  of  the  company  was  gayer  than  the 
host.  Isabella  sat  beside  him,  and  he  offered 
her  many  lover-like  attentions.  Everybody 
remarked  these  excellent  and  unusual  relations 
between  the  Duke  and  Duchess,  and  wondered 
greatly  thereat.  After  a  very  pleasant  musical 
evening  the  company  separated  for  the  night,  and 
the  Duke,  passing  into  his  own  bedchamber, 
invited  his  wife  to  enter  with  him. 

Was  it  instinct  or  was  it  second  sight,  which 
caused  Isabella's  steps  to  falter  on  the  threshold  ? 
She  trembled  as  her  husband  held  aside  the  arras, 
turned  deadly  pale,  and,  retreating  for  a  moment, 
she  whispered  to  her  lady-in-waiting.  Donna 
Lucrezia  de'  Frescobaldi — "  Shall  I  enter,  or  shall 
I  not  ?  "  Bracciano's  voice  again  was  raised  in 
gentle  persuasiveness,  and  taking  her  by  her 
hand,  clammy  cold  as  it  was,  he  asked  her, 
laughingly,  why  she  held  back. 

She  bade  Donna  Lucrezia  good-night  very 
tremulously,    and     then     the    curtain     fell,    and 

197 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Isabella  was  alone  with  her  lord.  The  room  was 
in  its  usual  state,  but  truth  to  tell,  she  had  not 
lain  there  for  many  a  long  night,  and,  as  the 
Duke  continued  to  talk  affectionately,  and  to 
prepare  for  bed,  she  began  to  feel  less  alarm. 
Without  more  ado  she  flung  herself  into  a  deep 
lounging-chair  and  began  to  meditate  and  to 
chatter. 

Seating  himself  by  her  side,  Bracciano  began 
to  caress  her  hands  and  to  fondle  her  in  his  arms, 
and  when  he  noted  that  she  had  given  herself 
entirely  to  his  will  and  pleasure,  as  an  amorous, 
faithful  wife  once  more,  he  swiftly  reached  down 
for  a  corda  di  collo — a  horse's  halter — which  he 
had  placed  behind  the  chair.  Implanting  an 
impassioned  kiss  upon  those  lovely  lips,  which 
had  so  long  yearned  for  a  husband's  embrace,  he 
adroitly  threw  the  rope  round  his  wife's  neck,  and 
pulling  it  taut  in  a  wild  access  of  rage,  he  strangled 
her — holding  on  until  her  struggles  ceased ! 

Then  he  cast  her  fair  body  from  him,  and 
j      spurned  it  with  his  foot,  as  though  it  had  been 

I  some  foul  and  loathsome  thing.  Thus  perished, 
in  her  thirty-sixth  year,  Isabella  de'  Medici,  wife 
of  Paolo  Giordano  d'Orsini — as  sinful  as  she  was 
lovely,  but  much  more  sinned  against  than  sinning 
after  all. 

Before  the  dawn  of  day  the  Duke,  accompanied 
by  one  attendant  only,  rode  into  Florence,  and  left 
at  the  Palazzo  Pitti  a  heartless  message  for  the 
Grand    Duke,    requesting   him    to   despatch    the 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

brethren  of  the  Misericordia  to  Cerreto  Guidi, 
where  was  "something  which  required  their 
attention  " — then  he  continued  his  course  straight 
on  to  Rome. 

Florence  was  aghast  at  this  horror,  but  the 
Grand  Duke  Francesco  kept  his  own  counsel, 
and  no  pursuit  followed  the  murderer.  An 
official  announcement  was  made  to  the  effect  that 
"The  Duchess  of  Bracciano  died  in  a  fit  of 
apoplexy."  This  nobody  for  a  moment  believed  : 
whether  her  brother  was  privy  to  the  deed  is 
perhaps  open  to  doubt,  for  he  and  Isabella  were 
devoted  to  one  another. 

It  has  been  said  that  it  was  due  to  Bianca 
Buonaventuri's  persuasion  that  the  Grand  Duke 
took  no  steps  to  vindicate  his  sister's  honour  or 
dishonour.  The  punishment  of  assassins  mostly 
leads  to  further  assassinations,  and  the  ''La  cosa 
di  Francesco  "  had  reason  to  fear  for  her  own  life, 
seeing  that  her  husband  and  her  two  dearest 
friends  in  Florence  had  been  done  brutally  to 
death. 

What  became  of  the  child,  whose  cries  the 
Duke  of  Bracciano  had  heard,  at  Villa  Poggio 
Baroncelli,  no  one  seems  to  have  recorded,  nor 
are  there  any  statements  extant  as  to  who  his 
father  actually  was — a  boy  he  was  anyhow,  and, 
though  his  name  is  uncertain,  he  was  spoken  of 
by  the  Duchess  as  '' il  mio  becchino''  "my  little 
kid." 

We  may  father  him  as  we  like — and  at  least 
199 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

three  claimants  for  that  honour  are  known — 
Troilo  d'Orsini,  the  Duke's  cousin  and  the 
Duchess'  companion  ;  Lelio  Torello,  the  comely 
young  Calcio  player,  and  the  favourite  page  of 
the  Grand  Duke  Francesco ;  and,  be  it  said  in 
terms  of  doubt  and  horror,  the  Grand  Duke 
Cosimo!  If  the  latter,  then  this  "Tragedy"  is 
the  culmination  of  all  the  abominable  orgies  which 
have  blackened  the  character  of  the  greatest 
tyrant  and  monster  of  his  epoch  ! 

Another  story  affects  the  career  of  the 
Chamberlain  Troilo  d'Orsini.  He  sought  sanctu- 
ary in  France  and  was  befriended  by  Queen 
Catherine,  to  whom  his  mistress,  the  unhappy 
Duchess  of  Bracciano,  had  commended  "  the  little 
kid."  Whether  he  accepted  the  role  of  father 
to  save  the  fame  of  the  defunct  Grand  Duke  is 
not  known,  but  the  unfortunate,  if  guilty,  fugitive 
was  stabbed  in  the  streets  of  Paris  by  bravoes 
sent  after  him  in  the  pay  of  the  Duke  of  Bracciano. 


200 


CHAPTER  V 

Francesco — "//  Virtuoso'^ 

BiANCA  Cappello — ''La  Figlia  di  Venezia" 

Pellegrina — "  La  Bella  Bianchina  " 

True  Lovers — and  False 

"  We'll  have  none  of  her  among  our  dead !  " 

These  were  the  brutal  words  of  Cardinal 
Ferdinando  de'  Medici,  at  the  villa  of  Poggio  a 
Caiano  on  the  morning  of  21st  October  1587. 
They  formed  the  curt  reply  his  Eminence  vouch- 
safed to  Bishop  Abbioso  of  Ravenna,  "her" 
confessor. 

The  bishop,  looking  to  favours  from 
Ferdinando,  who  succeeded  Francesco  as  third 
Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany,  sent  overnight,  the 
following  message  to  his  new  Sovereign  : 

"  This  moment  at  8  p.m.  Her  Most  Serene 
Highness  the  Grand  Duchess  passed  to  another 
life.  The  present  messenger  awaits  your  High- 
ness' orders  as  to  the  disposal  of  the  body." 

"  The  body! " 

Yes,  it  was  "  the  body  "  of  as  loving  a  woman 
as  ever  lived  in  Florence.  She  had  been  the 
most  faithful  of  wives,  the  most  attractive  of 
consorts,  and  one  of  the  most  generous  of  bene- 
factresses.    It  was  "the  body"  of  as  unselfish  a 

201 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

sister-in-law  as  any  man,  high  or  low,  ever  had, 
who  strove  her  utmost  to  propitiate,  screen,  and 
honour  the  self-seeking  brother  of  her  husband. 
It  was  "  the  body  "  of  Bianca  Cappello ! 

Ferdinando  had,  for  years,  plotted  her  death, 
and  now  he  had  accomplished  his  dastardly  design 
— a  design  which  also  made  him  the  murderer  of 
his  brother,  Francesco  de'  Medici. 

To  be  sure,  the  double  tragedy  was  adjudged 
no  tragedy  by  such  as  waited  for  favours  from  the 
coming  ruler,  and  the  mysteriously  sudden  deaths 
of  Francesco  de'  Medici  and  his  wife  Bianca  were 
assigned  to  natural  causes  by  well-paid  dependants 
upon  Ferdinando's  bounty  and  favour.  The 
bloodguiltiness  of  fratricidal  Ferdinando  was  well 
whitewashed  by  his  courtiers,  and  historians  have 
painted  him  in  colours  that  ill  befit  his  character. 
So  is  history  written  ofttimes  and  again. 

Pope  Sixtus  VI.  had  all  the  gruesome  circum- 
stances placed  before  him,  and  whilst  he  was  too 
weak  or  too  cunning — it  matters  not  which — to 
charge  the  princely  murderer  with  his  deeds,  he 
tacitly  accepted  the  finding  of  his  commission  of 
inquiry  : — "  Ferdinando  de'  Medici,  Cardinal- 
Priest  of  San  Giorgio,  Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany, 
poisoned  his  brother  and  his  sister  at  Poggio  a 
Caiano." 

Now  must  the  story  be  told,  gathered  out  of 
records,  more  or  less  reliable  —  more  or  less 
biassed.  It  is  a  story  which  brings  a  blush  to  the 
cheek  and  a  lump  in  the  throat,  and  calls  forth 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

feelings  of  detestation  for  the  murderer.  At  the 
same  time  it  is  a  thrilling  story  of  a  love  stronger 
than  death. 


Late  one  dark  night,  in  November  1563,  a 
gondola  shot  out  from  the  deep  shadow  of  the 
church  of  Sant'  Appolinare,  upon  the  Rio  della 
Canonica,  in  Venice,  dipped  under  the  Ponte  del 
Storto,  and  sped  its  way,  swiftly  propelled  by  two 
stalwart  boatmen. 

There  was  little  use  to  cry  out  ''Lei'''  or 
"  Stall,''  for  no  other  craft  was  afloat  at  that  hour, 
and  the  gondola  was  unimpeded  in  its  course. 
Crossing  the  Grand  Canal  the  helmsman  made 
for  the  Guidecca,  and  on  past  the  Punta  di 
Santa  Maria,  and  on  still,  away  across  the 
wide  and  silent  lagune,  right  on  to  Fusina,  on 
the  mainland. 

In  the  herse  were  two  persons — a  boy  and  a 
girl — fast  clasped  in  each  other's  arms :  she 
sobbing  upon  his  breast,  he  comforting  her  with 
hot  kisses  upon  her  lips.  They  were  Pietro  de' 
Buonaventuri  and  Bianca  de'  Cappelli.  The 
elopement  was  complete,  and  all  Pietro's  man- 
hood rose  as  he  held  his  sweetheart  in  a  strong 
embrace :  he  would  guard  her  with  his  life,  come 
what  might.  He  knew  they  were  safe  from 
present  pursuit,  for  to  none  had  he  revealed  his 
plans  ;  but  he  also  knew  that  a  price  would  be 
set  upon   their  heads,    and   daggers   dodge   their 

course. 

203 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

Stepping  lightly  ashore  with  his  sweetheart, 
the  young  man  paid  his  boatmen  and  bade  them 
not  hurry  back  to  Venice.  Then  the  young 
couple  took  the  road  to  Bologna,  on  their  way  to 
Florence.  They  had  very  little  money  between 
them,  but  Bianca  had  stuffed  into  her  pocket  her 
jewellery  and  Pietro  had  just  received  his  quarter's 
salary. 

At  the  Cappello  mansion,  on  the  morrow,  was 
a  scene  of  wild  confusion.  Messer  Bartolommeo 
Cappello  was  like  a  madman  ;  he  demanded  his 
daughter  at  the  hand  of  her  faithful  maid,  Maria 
del  Longhi,  and  laid  the  matter  at  once  before 
the  Supreme  Council.  On  enquiry,  Pietro  Buona- 
venturi,  who  had  been  for  long  Bianca's  most 
favoured  admirer,  was  neither  at  the  Salviati 
bank,  where  he  was  occupied  as  a  clerk,  nor  at 
his  lodo;;inCTs. 

The  daughter  of  a  Venetian  patrician  gone  off 
with  a  banker's  clerk !  The  idea  maddened  the 
old  man — he  would  trace  them,  and  punish  them, 
and  all  who  had  assisted  their  flight.  Messer 
Giovanni  Battista  Buonaventuri,  Pietro's  uncle, 
the  manager  of  the  bank  ;  Bianca's  maid  and  her 
parents  ;  the  two  gondolieri  and  their  wives  ;  and 
ever  so  many  others  were  cast  into  prison. 

No  news  came  of  the  erring  couple,  and  now 
they  were  well  ahead  of  pursuit.  Two  thousand 
ducats  was  the  blood-money  offered  for  Pietro, 
dead  or  alive.  Assassins  bought  for  gold  followed 
on   the   road   to   Florence,   but   never  caught  up 

204 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

their  quarry.  Messer  Bartolommeo's  vengeance 
knew  no  bounds,  and  his  new  wife,  Madonna 
Lucrezia  de'  Grimani-Contarini  fanned  the  flames. 
She  hated  Bianca. 

The  winter  sun  had  long  ago  set  beyond  the 
stone-pines  of  Monte  OHveto,  and  the  deep  blue 
Tuscan  sky  had  turned  to  sober  slate,  purpled 
with  the  fading  glow  of  northern  crimson.  It 
was  a  night  near  Christmas,  and  Ser  Zenobio 
Buonaventuri  sat  at  his  table,  in  his  modest  little 
one-storied  house  on  the  Piazza  San  Marco,  putting 
the  finishing  touches  to  his  prdcis  of  the  day's 
notarial  work,  in  the  Corte  della  Mercanzia.  His 
worthy  spouse.  Madonna  Costanza's  weary  fingers 
had  just  completed  the  stitching  of  the  last  of 
twelve  pairs  of  kid  gloves,  for  her  employers,  of 
the  Guild  of  the  Fur  and  Skin  Merchants — the 
Salvetti,  who  were  her  relatives. 

They  had  been  talking,  as  was  their  wont, 
about  their  dashing,  handsome  son  Pietro,  the 
pride  of  their  hearts,  who  was  away  in  Venice,  a 
clerk  under  his  uncle,  Giovanni  Battista.  They 
were  a  lonesome  couple,  and  they  deplored  their 
four  years'  parting  from  their  only  boy.  To  be 
sure,  he  had  often,  indeed  regularly,  written  to 
them  happy,  contented  letters.  Moreover,  Messer 
Giovanni  Battista  had  sent  them  very  satisfactory 
reports  of  his  application  to  business,  but  he 
named  one  subject,  which  filled  the  hearts  of  the 
doting   parents    with    apprehension  —  it  was,   of 

course,  a  story  of  romance. 

205 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

Pietro  had  a  sweetheart — that  in  itself  caused 
litde  uneasiness ;  what  healthy-minded  young 
fellow  had  not!  But  Pietro  had  an  unusually 
amorous  nature,  and  his  love  escapades  had  not 
been  few  in  Florence.  In  Venice,  "the  Court  of 
Venus,"  he  revelled  in  the  fair  beauty  and  the 
freedom  of  maidens,  so  much  more  lovely  and  so 
much  less  reserved,  than  the  Florentine  girls  he 
knew.  But  when  Messer  Giovanni  Battista 
named  as  his  innamorata  the  young  daughter  of 
one  of  the  proudest  patricians  of  the  Serene 
Republic,  the  worthy  couple  were  in  trepidation 
lest  the  lad's  passion  should  lead  to  regrettable 
embarrassments. 

No  love  was  lost  between  the  sister  Republics, 
and  the  feeling  of  hostility  in  public  matters  was 
carried  into  private  life.  Pietro  never  named  the 
romance,  but  Ser  Zenobio,  by  way  of  meeting — as 
was  his  wont — his  troubles  half  way,  penned 
anxious  cautions  to  his  son.  The  Buonaventuri, 
though  by  no  means  an  obscure  family,  were 
not  Grandi  like  the  Cappelli,  Lords  of  Venice. 
Moreover,  Bianca's  father  was  a  wealthy  man  and 
a  member  of  the  Supreme  Council,  whilst  Ser 
Zenobio  was  merely  a  modest  notary  of  no  great 
fame  or  fortune. 

It  was  bedtime,  but  hark!  at  the  door  were 
shuffling  steps  and  voices  whispering  ;  and  pre- 
sently there  came  a  gentle  tap — repeated  once  or 
twice.  Ser  Zenobio  rose  to  see  what  was  passing 
outside  his  house.      Peering   into  the  gloom  he 

206 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

saw  two  figures — one  a  girl's — and  a  voice  he 
knew  full  well  said  : 

"  Father,  we  have  come  to  crave  shelter  and 
protection." 

"  Who  are  you  ?  My  boy  Pietro !  And  what 
are  you  doing  here  in  Florence,  and  at  this  time 
of  night  ? " 

Madonna  Costanza  was  peeping  over  his 
shoulder,  and  both  of  them  were  greatly  agitated, 
and  awaited  with  anxiety  Pietro's  reply. 

"  We  have  come  from  Venice  and  are  very 
tired.     See,  father  and  mother,  this  is  Bianca." 

Sternly  answered  Ser  Zenobio.  "  What  do  you 
mean,  Pietro  ?  What  shame  is  this  you  have 
done  your  parents  ?  Who  is  Bianca,  and  what 
are  you  doing  with  her  in  Florence  }  You  never 
said  you  were  coming  home.  Explain  yourself,  or 
come  not  into  your  father's  house." 

Heavy  rain  was  falling,  and  Bianca  was 
weeping  as  Pietro  led  her  into  the  light  of  the 
candle  his  mother  held. 

"  Let  them  come  in  anyhow,  Zenobio,  and  we 
can  hear  what  they  have  got  to  say,  without  the 
neighbours  hearing  us,"  put  in  the  tender-hearted 
woman. 

With  that,  Ser  Zenobio  gave  his  hand  to 
Bianca  and  drew  her  and  Pietro  within  the  door, 
and  then,  in  sterner  tones,  he  commanded  his 
son  to  tell  what  he  had  done. 

Briefly  Pietro  recounted  the  story  of  his  love 
and  how  Bianca  returned  it.     He  spoke  of  Messer 

207 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Bartolommeo's  harshness  and  of  the  unkindness 
of  Bianca's  stepmother,  Madonna  Lucrezia  de' 
Grimani-Contarini — the  Patriarch's  sister.  He 
described  their  plight  and  the  perils  which 
threatened  them.  But,  when  he  went  on  to  hint 
at  Bianca's  condition,  the  loving  heart  of  Madonna 
Costanza  melted  towards  the  beauteous,  weeping 
girl,  and  she  drew  her  to  her  bosom  to  embrace 
and  comfort  her. 

Long  and  anxious  vigil  the  four  kept  that 
winter's  night.  The  outcome  of  their  delibera- 
tions was  the  marriage  of  Pietro  and  Bianca,  on 
1 2th  December,  privately,  at  Ser  Zenobio's,  with 
the  priestly  blessing  at  San  Marco's  across  the  way. 

It  was  deemed  expedient  that  the  young 
people  should  conceal  themselves  as  much  as 
possible,  in  view  of  the  extreme  measures  taken 
by  the  Serene  Republic.  If  caught,  Pietro  was 
to  be  slain  and  Bianca  enclosed  in  a  convent. 
The  abduction  of  a  noble  Venetian  was  a  capital 
offence,  and  the  girl's  dowry  was  confiscated  by 
the  State. 

Soon  the  news  of  the  elopement  ran  through 
Florence  and  set  everybody  talking.  The  reward 
of  two  thousand  gold  ducats  was  a  tempting  bait 
for  desperadoes  and  others  in  need  of  coin. 
Everybody  wished  to  see  the  beauteous  Venetian 
and  have  a  chat  with  bold  Pietro,  for,  of  course, 
no  Florentine  blamed  them  !     Who  could  ? 

Don   Francesco,    Duke  Cosimo's    eldest   son, 
208 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

was  in  Bavaria  making  believe-courtship  with 
the  Archduchess  Joanne,  the  Emperor's  daughter, 
when  the  gossip  about  Pietro  and  Bianca  reached 
him.  He,  of  course,  knew  nothing  of  the 
Buonaventuri,  nor  of  the  Cappelli,  but  romance 
is  romance  in  every  age  and  degree  of  human 
life!  He  determined  on  his  return  to  Florence 
to  find  out  the  amorous  young  couple  and  judge 
for  himself  of  the  charms  of  the  fair  girl-bride. 

Away  back,  in  the  grounds  of  the  monastery 
of  San  Marco,  was  the  garden-casino  of  Cosimo, 
"  Padre  della  Patria,''  a  delightful  retreat.  ^  Fran- 
cesco received  it  as  a  gift  from  his  father,  and 
there  he  was  accustomed  to  entertain  his  friends 
and  familiars. 

Passing,  on  his  way  thither — as  he  often  did, 
with  a  frolicsome  party  of  young  bloods — the 
humble  dwelling  of  the  Buonaventuri,  he  chanced, 
one  day,  to  look  up  at  a  half-open  window — the 
jalousies  were  thrown  back,  and  there,  sitting  at 
her  needlework,  was  the  very  girl  he  sought ! 

There  could  be  no  manner  of  doubt  who  she 
was,  no  Florentine  maiden  was  so  fair,  and  no 
eyes  in  Florence  were  so  bright.  Casually 
asking  a  member  of  his  suite  whose  house  they 
were  passing,  Don  Francesco  tossed  up  his  glove 
at  the  girl  and  passed  on. 

Another  person  witnessed  this  love  passage, 

the     Marchesa     Anna     Mondragone,     wife     of 

Francesco's  old  governor  and  his  chamberlain — 

she  was  on  the  balcony  of  the  house  at  the  corner 

o  209 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

of  the  Piazza  to  make  her  usual  curtsey  to  the 
Prince.  When  the  Marchese  came  home  that 
night,  he  told  his  wife  that  the  Prince  had  seen 
Bianca  Buonaventuri,  and  had  enlisted  his  services 
to  obtain  an  interview  with  the  lovely  Venetian. 

Nothinsf  does  a  woman  of  the  world  love 
more  than  to  be  a  go-between  where  sentimental 
couples  are  concerned — be  it  for  their  weal  or  be 
it  for  their  woe — and  so  the  Marchesa  sympathe- 
tically addressed  herself  to  the  diplomatic  task 
of  bringing  the  two  young  people  together.  She 
struck  up  a  passing  acquaintance  with  Madonna 
Costanza,  and  upon  the  plea  that  she  wished  for 
the  opinion  of  her  daughter-in-law  upon  the 
question  of  a  Venetian  costume  she  was  about  to 
wear  at  a  reception  at  the  palace,  asked  her  to 
bring  Bianca  to  the  Mondragone  mansion. 

Accordingly,  a  few  days  after  the  affair  of  the 
kid  elove,  the  three  women  were  closeted  in  the 
Marchesa's  boudoir,  where  the  Marchese  joined 
them.  Calling  off  Bianca  to  look  at  some  jewellery, 
she  whisked  her  into  another  room,  and  presently, 
leaving  her  absorbed  in  the  beauty  of  the  gems, 
retired. 

Bianca  looked  up,  somewhat  annoyed  to  find 
herself  alone,  and,  as  she  did  so,  she  detected 
a  slight  movement  behind  the  arras  over  the  door. 
The  next  moment  it  was  raised,  and  there  stepped 
into  the  apartment  none  other  than  Don  Francesco 
de'  Medici ! 

Bianca  stood  there,  speechless  and  embarrassed, 

2IO 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

but  the  Prince,  approaching,  took  her  hand  in  his, 
kissed  it,  and  placed  her  beside  him  on  a  couch. 
When  she  had  recovered  from  her  surprise, 
Bianca  fell  upon  her  knees  and,  weeping,  besought 
Francesco  to  befriend  her  and  Pietro.  Raising  her 
to  the  couch  once  more,  he  folded  her  in  an  impas- 
sioned embrace,  and  promised  his  protection  and 
what  she  would  besides  ! 

Very  greatly  moved  was  the  young  man  by 
Bianca's  rare  beauty  of  face  and  form,  and  by  the 
tenderness  of  her  voice,  and,  perhaps  more  than 
all,  by  the  undoubting  confidence  she  reposed  in 
him.  Bianca  was  such  a  very  different  sort  of  girl 
to  cold,  unattractive  and  ill-educated  Giovanna. 

Immediate  steps  were  taken  to  obtain  the  re- 
cension of  the  punitive  decrees  of  the  Venetian 
Council,  but  they  proved  abortive,  and  nothing 
could  be  done  in  Venice  for  Bianca  and  Pietro. 
In  Florence  Don  Francesco  could  do  as  he  willed. 
His  father,  Cosimo,  had  already  made  over  to 
him  much  of  his  sovereign  authority. 

In  July  1564,  Bianca  Buonaventuri  became  the 
mother  of  a  little  girl,  to  whom  the  name  Pellegrina 
— her  own  dear  mother's  name — was  given.  The 
days  of  convalescence  quickly  passed,  and  Fran- 
cesco paid  his  innamorata  increasing  court.  Upon 
Pietro  and  Bianca  he  bestowed  a  charming  palace, 
on  the  Lung  'Arno,  and  provided  them  with 
ample  means  to  maintain  themselves  and  it.  He 
appointed  Pietro  Keeper  of  his  Wardrobe  and 
Clerk  of  his   Privy  Closet,  on  condition  that  his 

211 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

fascinating  girl-wife    should    be    regarded    pretty 
much  as  ''La  cosa  di  Francesco y 

The  more  the  Prince  saw  of  Bianca  the 
stronger  grew  his  passion.  She  was  perfectly 
irresistible.  After  the  fashion  of  the  day,  he 
poured  forth  his  devotion  in  graceful  madrigals — 
the  first  of  which  began  as  follows  : — 

"  A  rich  and  shining  Gem  hath  Dame  Nature 
Taken  out  of  Heaven's  treasury,  and 
Wrapping  it  in  a  lustrous  human  veil 
Hath  bestowed  it  on  me,  saying,  '  To  thee 
I  give  this  beauteous  Flora  for  thine  own.' " 

Meanwhile  preparations  were  going  forward  for 
the  reception  and  marriage  of  the  Austrian  Arch- 
duchess, who  reached  Florence  on  i6th  November 
1565.  Reports  of  her  husband's  infatuation  for 
Bianca  Buonaventuri  had  of  course  travelled  to 
Vienna,  and  Giovanna  had  not  long  to  wait  for 
their  verification.  She  could  not  brook  the  foul- 
ing of  the  marriage-bed  nor  permit  the  liaison  to 
go  on  undenounced. 

Francesco  met  her  ill-humour  with  a  frown. 
He  pointed  to  the  morals  of  her  father's  court, 
and  to  the  Florentine  cult  of  Platonism,  and  he 
bade  her  mind  her  own  business  and  not  make 
troubles.  Her  appeals  to  Duke  Cosimo  and  to 
her  brother  the  Emperor  Maximilian  were  in  vain. 
Francesco  plainly  hinted  that  she  might  go  back 
to  Vienna  if  she  liked,  for  nothing  that  she  could 
say  or  do  would  alter  his  admiration  and  his  devo- 
tion for  Bianca  Buonaventuri. 

212 


FRANCESCO    DE'    MEDICI. 
Second  Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany.     (Angelo  Bronxino.) 

PITTI    PALACE,    FLOREXCK. 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

The  strictness  of  married  life  had  long-  agfo 
disappeared  from  the  conventions  of  Florentine 
society.  Mutual  relationships  proved  that  men 
might  live  as  they  pleased,  so  long  as  they  did  not 
renounce  the  offspring,  even  when  they  were 
assured  that  it  was  not  their  own.  The  term 
*'  PartitV — "  Sharers  "  or  "  Partners  " — perhaps 
less  literally  but  more  emphatically,  "  kindred 
souls,"  was  bestowed  upon  this  relationship.  Still 
at  no  time  was  Francesco  a  sensuous  man  or  a 
libertine  like  his  father.  Hisdevotionally-affected 
mother,  Eleanora  de  Toledo,  had  trained  him  in 
moral  ways,  and  had  called  forth  in  him  regard 
for  religion  and  sympathy  for  charitable  objects. 
Possessed  of  great  self-command  and  reticence,  he 
never  betrayed  himself  in  any  way  ;  passionate  he 
was  beyond  the  ordinary,  but  never  revengeful. 
He  loved  one  woman,  and  only  one,  and  to  her 
he  proved  himself  faithful  until  death  took  them 
away  together ;  but  she  was  not  Giovanna,  his 
political  wife,  she  was  Bianca,  the  wife  of  his 
heart  and  mind. 

Next  to  his  love  of  Bianca  was  his  love 
of  money :  no  prince  of  his  house  was  ever 
half  so  wealthy  or  so  sparing.  Avarice  came 
to  him  through  the  rapacity  of  Giovanna's 
German  followers  and  through  her  own  ex- 
travagance. 

The  year  after  his  marriage,  Bianca  Buona- 

venturiwas  introduced  at  Court  as  Bianca  Cappello. 

The  young  Duchess  of  course  was  furious,  and 

213 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

pointedly  refused  all  intercourse  with  her  rival. 
Bianca,  on  the  other  hand,  laid  herself  out  to 
propitiate  the  dour  Austrian  princess  and  to  stifle 
slander.  Still  a  mere  girl,  she  was  in  full  com- 
mand of  all  the  moves  in  woman's  strategy. 
There  was  no  school  like  that  of  Venice  for  the 
display  of  tact  and  fascination.  To  be  sure,  she 
was  living  in  a  crystal  palace,  but  she  was  perfectly 
ready  to  repair  all  damages.  Bianca  was  severely 
upon  her  guard,  and  her  conduct  was  perfectly 
correct  in  every  way. 

Very  rarely  did  young  Cardinal  Ferdinando 
visit  Florence,  but  in  1569,  Cosimo,  his  father, 
sent  for  him,  that  he  might  embrace  him  before 
he  died,  being,  as  he  thought,  on  the  point  of 
death.  At  the  magnificently  immoral  Court  of 
the  Vatican  he  had  heard  the  gossip  about  the 
lovely  Venetian  girl  who  had  so  completely 
captured  his  brother  Francesco.  Quite  naturally, 
the  by  no  means  ascetic  young  ecclesiastic  desired 
greatly  to  see  for  himself  the  Venetian  charmer, 
and  he  journeyed  to  Florence,  bent  upon  judging 
for  himself. 

Francesco  greeted  Ferdinando  quite  affection- 
ately— there  was  no  reason  why  he  should  not — 
and  unhesitatingly  introduced  him  to  Bianca. 
At  the  impressionable  age  of  twenty,  the  young 
Prince  fell  at  once  under  the  spell  of  those  be- 
witching eyes.  Who  could  resist  her.-*  In  the 
fulness  of  her  womanhood  Bianca  Buonaventuri 
was   without    rival   among    the    fair    women    of 

214 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Florence,  and  the  boy-Cardinal  made,  like  all  the 
rest,  impassioned  love  to  her. 

Back  again  in  Rome  and  busy  with  his  plans 
for  the  great  Medici  Palace  in  the  Eternal  City 
he  lost  none  of  his  admiration  for  his  brother's 
"  Flora,"  till  evil  tongues  began  to  wag  around 
him-  Was  not  he,  Ferdinando,  Don  Francesco's 
heir-presumptive  ?  Duchess  Giovanna  had  given 
her  husband  none  but  daughters  ;  she,  too,  was  in 
delicate  health  and  might  die  without  a  son  being 
born.  What  then  ?  Why,  of  course,  Francesco 
would  marry  Bianca  Buonaventuri,  and  by  her 
secure  the  succession.  Whether  he  was  destined 
for  the  Papacy  or  not,  the  Grand  Duchy  was  his 
by  inheritance,  and  it  behoved  him,  they  said,  to 
guard  his  rights  and  further  his  expectations ! 

Ferdinando  listened  to  this  tittle-tattle  and  it 
caused  ambitious  distrust  of  Francesco  and  Bianca. 
As  heir-presumptive  to  a  temporal  sovereignty, 
he  began  to  surround  himself  with  all  the  attri- 
butes and  circumstances  of  his  position.  His 
palace  was  regal  in  its  magnificence,  his  entertain- 
ments were  upon  a  princely  scale,  and  he  assumed 
an  overbearing  demeanour  in  his  relations  with 
Francesco. 

Instigated    by    inveterate    intriguers    in    his 

entourage,  he  quite  hypocritically  affected  to  be 

shocked    at    his    brother's    liaison   with    Bianca, 

although    he    made    no   demur    at    his    father's 

relations  with   Eleanora  degli   Albizzi,  Cammilla 

de'  Martelli,  and  other  innamorate. 

215 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Giovanna  was  only  too  delighted  to  have  the 
invaluable  assistance  of  the  young  Cardinal  in 
her  campaign  against  "  the  hated  Venetian."  At 
length  he  took  the  bold  step  of  expostulating  with 
Francesco  upon  his  intercourse  with  the  captivat- 
ing rival  of  Giovanna.  The  Prince  was  furious, 
and  warned  his  brother  never  to  name  the  subject 
again,  and  on  no  account  to  meddle  with  his 
private  affairs. 

Ferdinando  replied  that  he  was  quite  content 
to  abstain  at  a  price.  The  truth  was,  that  his 
lavish  extravagance  had  exhausted  his  revenue 
and  restricted  his  powers  of  borrowing,  and  he 
was  in  lack  of  funds  for  the  maintenance  of  his 
state  in  Rome. 

In  a  weak  moment  Francesco  gave  heed  to 
Ferdinando's  stipulations,  and  provided  him  with 
funds  and  increased  his  family  allowance.  In 
gratitude,  the  Cardinal  threw  into  his  brother's 
teeth  the  fact  of  his  position  as  heir-presumptive, 
and  insisted  upon  the  purchase  of  a  piece  of  land 
at  the  confluence  of  the  Pesa  with  the  Arno. 
There  he  built  his  Villa  Ambrogiana,  which 
became  the  seat  of  an  anti-Francesco  cabal  and 
the  headquarters  of  an  elaborate  system  of  paid 
spies  and  toadies. 

In  September  1571,  Francesco  issued  a  decree 
which  ennobled  the  family  of  Bianca's  husband, 
and  Ser  Zenobio,  unambitious,  pottering  notary 
that  he  was,  and   Pietro,   and  all  their  male  kith 

216 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

and  kin,  were  enrolled  ''inter  nobiles,  inter 
agnationes  et  familias  ceusetas  et  connumeratus." 
Pietro  was  now  a  gentleman  of  Florence,  and  he 
at  once  assumed  the  airs  of  such,  as  he  conceived 
they  should  be,  but  his  bad  manners  and  his 
arrogance  brought  upon  him  the  contempt  of 
the  whole  Court. 

Francesco  at  first  shielded  his  prot6ge,  but 
his  overbearing  conduct  and  his  importunities  at 
length  alienated  his  regard,  and  he  made  no 
attempt  to  conceal  his  displeasure.  Bianca 
pleaded  with  her  husband  in  vain,  success  had 
turned  his  head,  and  now  came  "the  parting  of 
the  ways." 

Pietro  had  consented  that  Bianca  should  be 
''La  cosa  di  Francesco'' ;  he  too  would  enjoy 
life,  and  he  sought  his  compensation  in  the 
embraces  of  the  most  attractive  and  most 
scheming  flirt  in  Florence,  Madonna  Cassandra, 
the  wealthy  widow  of  Messer  Simone  de' 
Borghiani — born  a  Riccio.  Although  well  over 
thirty  years  of  age,  she  was  run  after  by  all 
the  young  gallants  of  the  Court  and  city.  Two 
already  had  been  done  to  death  for  love  of  her — 
mere  boys — Pietro  del  Calca  and  Giovanni  de' 
Cavalcanti. 

Pietro  Buonaventuri  vowed  he  would  marry 
her,  but  the  Ricci  would  have  none  of  him  ;  and 
he  fell,  one  summer's  night,  under  the  very 
windows  of  his  wife's  bedchamber,  pierced  with 
twenty-five  savage  dagger  thrusts.     That  same 

217 


The  Tragredies  of  the  Medici 


& 


night  —  it  was  27th  August  1572  —  INIadonna 
Cassandra  was  stabbed,  in  her  own  apartment, 
also  twenty-five  times,  and  two  stark,  mutilated 
corpses  were  mercifully  borne  away,  in  the  dawn, 
by  the  brethren  of  the  Misericordia,  and  given 
burial. 

Bianca,  widowed,  demanded  at  the  hand  of 
her  princely  lover  justice  for  the  spilling  of  her 
husband's  blood  ;  but,  for  answer,  Francesco  drew 
her  gently  to  his  heart  and  said:  "The  best 
thing  I  can  do  now,  my  own  Bianca,  is  to  make 
you.  before  long.  Grand  Duchess  of  Tuscany !  " 

The  Cardinal  was  keenly  interested  in  this 
tragedy,  not  indeed  that  he  took  any  part  therein, 
but  it  had  a  distinct  bearing  upon  his  line  of 
conduct,  and  he  noted  with  apprehension  the 
redoubling  of  Francesco's  devotion  to  "the 
hated  Venetian." 

Bianca.  of  course,  was  perfectly  aware  that 
she  was  the  real  cause  of  Ferdinando's  animosity, 
in  spite  of  his  protestations  of  admiration  and 
the  like.  She  set  about  to  unmask  his  real  inten- 
tions and  to  circumvent  his  hypocrisy.  Her 
methods  were  at  once  original  and  full  of  tact, 
for  she  disarmed  his  aggression  by  playing  to 
his  personal  vanity  and  by  furthering  his  lust 
for  money. 

Xot  once,  nor  twice,  but  many  times,  did 
Bianca  plead  with  Francesco  for  his  brother,  and 
always  with  success,  and  many  a  substantial  sum 
of  money  was  lodged  in  the  Roman  Medici  bank 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

at  his  disposal.  Ferdinando  began  to  realise 
that  the  only  way  to  his  brother's  purse  was  by 
Bianca's  favour,  and  he  began  to  evince  a  dis- 
tinctly amiable  spirit  in  his  relations  with  her. 

As  marking  the  improvement  in  the  situation, 
the  Cardinal  accepted  an  invitation  to  a  family 
oratherino:  at  Poq-o-io  a  Caiano  in  the  autumn  of 
1575.  The  Grand  Duchess  Giovanna  quite  pro- 
perly was  the  hostess,  but  Bianca  Buonaventuri, 
who  was  installed  in  a  Casino  in  the  park,  which 
Francesco  had  given  her,  and  called  "  Villetta 
Bini,"  was  of  the  part}^  the  life  and  soul  of  all  the 
entertainments. 

Durino;  the  festivities  Bianca  manacred  to  be 
tete-a-tete  with  her  brother-in-law  in  a  secluded 
summer-house.  The  fascination  of  three  years 
before  was  again  transcendent.  "  The  Venetian 
is  irresistible,"  he  said  afterwards,  "  I  cannot  hate 
her,  try  how  I  will !  "  The  truth  was,  he  was 
madly  in  love,  and  he  owned  it,  but  his  love  was, 
after  all,  like  the  hot  fumes  of  a  lurid  hre. 

The  year  1576  was  a  black  one  in  the  annals 
of  the  Medici.  Two  beautiful  and  accomplished 
princesses  of  the  ruling  house  were  done  to  death 
by  jealous,  unfaithful  husbands. 

Bianca  Buonaventuri  was  stunned  by  the 
terrible  end  of  her  dear  sister-friends,  Isabella 
de'  Medici  and  Eleanora  de  Garzia  de  Toledo. 
Would  her  turn  come  next  ?  The  three  had  been 
called  "  The  Three  Graces  of  Florence,"  and  cer- 
tainly each  had  vied  with   the   other   in  elegance 

219 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

and  fascination,  but  to  Bianca  the  golden  apple 
had  been  accorded  unanimously.  Beauty  and 
charm  seemed  to  be  magnets  of  destruction,  and 
Bianca  was  upon  her  guard  ! 

So  far  as  she  herself  was  concerned,  she  knew 
that  at  any  time  she  might  still  fall  a  victim  to  a 
Venetian  desperado,  or  to  a  Florentine  assassin, 
and  under  every  friendly  guise  she  feared  a 
foe. 

With  respect  to  the  Grand  Duchess  Giovanna 
and  her  detestation  of  Bianca,  a  story  may  be  told 
which  has  all  the  appearance  at  least  of  proba- 
bility. Giovanna  expressed,  not  once,  but  often, 
her  wish  for  Bianca's  death.  This,  indeed,  in 
those  days,  and  in  Florence,  the  "  City  of  Assas- 
sins," was  as  good  as  a  judicial  sentence.  The 
Grand  Duchess,  moreover,  it  was  reputed,  followed 
up  her  words  by  action.  "  One  day,"  the  story 
goes,  "  in  the  month  of  March  1576,  her  carriage 
chanced  to  meet  that  of  Bianca's  upon  the  Ponte 
SS.  Trinita.  She  besought  her  coachman  to 
try  and  upset  her  rival,  hoping  that  she  might  fall 
into  the  river  below  and  be  drowned !  Conte 
Eliodoro  del  Castello,  her  Chamberlain,  saw  the 
manoeuvre  and  prevented  a  deplorable  fatality." 

Be  this  as  it  may,  the  Grand  Duke  not  only 
sympathised  with  Bianca's  fears,  but  appointed 
certain  of  his  own  bodyguard  to  take  up  similar 
duties  near  the  person  of  Madonna  Buonaventuri, 
and  her  progresses  henceforward  were  watched 
with  as  much  circumstance  as  his  own.     At  the 

220 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

same  time  his  devotion  to  the  woman  he  loved 
increased  from  day  to  day.  The  perils  she  was 
called  upon  to  meet  were  incurred  through  her 
unquestioning  love  of  him.  This  he  knew  well 
enough. 

Writing  on  29th  March  1576,  Carlo  Zorzi,  the 
Ambassador  of  the  Serene  Republic,  and  a  warm 
adherent  of  his  fascinating  fellow-countrywoman, 
says  :  "  I  visited  the  Grand  Duke's  Villa  Prato- 
lino,  and  also  Madonna  Bianca  Buonaventuri's 
charming  retreat,  the  Orte  Oricellari,  and  her 
pretty  Villa  della  Tana,  which  he  had  lately  given 
her,  looking  upon  the  Arno,  and  I  observed  Don 
Francesco's  intimacy  with  the  Madonna.  I  noted 
also  her  extraordinary  influence  for  good  upon 
him.  .  .  .  They  appear  to  be  made  for  one 
another,  and  to  be  absorbed  in  the  same  occupa- 
tions and  interests.  .  .  .  She  had  but  to  name 
an  object  for  charity  or  patronage,  and  at  once  she 
had  his  hearty  approval." 

Francesco  never  concealed  his  concern  at  hav- 
ing no  son.  With  his  own  physicians  and  the 
physicians  of  the  Grand  Duchess  he  held  many 
consultations  :  not  a  few  quacks  and  empirics  also 
were  sought  to  for  nostrums  and  charms  which 
should  obtain  by  science  what  nature  had  so  far 
withheld.  He  and  Bianca  held  anxious  counsel, 
for  he  knew  that  she  would  lay  down  her  life  for 
him,  and  would  grant  him  every  facility  which  it 
was  in  her  loving  power  to  supply. 

Reflecting  deeply,  Bianca  saw  only  one  situa- 
221 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

tion  :  Giovanna  was  barren  of  male  issue,  why 
should  not  she  herself  become  once  more  a  mother 
— the  mother  of  a  son,  a  son  of  Francesco  ! 

This  idea  haunted  her,  but  all  the  same  she 
had  no  conception  ;  and  then  a  design  presented 
itself  to  her  weary  brain — as  natural  as  it  was 
indefensible.  For  some  time  she  had  been  get- 
ting stout — her  age,  her  constitution,  and  her  rich 
living  were  all  conducive  to  that  condition.  If 
she  was  not  to  be  the  mother  of  his  child  by 
natural  means,  she  could  be  so  by  a  subterfuge, 
which  her  embonpoint  would  uphold ! 

In  the  spring  of  1576  Bianca  Buonaventuri 
gave  out  that  she  was  enceinte,  and  began  forth- 
with her  preparations  for  accouche^nent.  She  left 
her  palace  in  the  Via  Maggio,  under  the  shadow 
of  the  Pitti  Palace,  and  took  up  her  abode  in  the 
Casino  of  the  Orte  Oricellari,  which  she  had  lately 
purchased  from  the  family  of  Rucellai,  and  sur- 
rounded herself  with  confidential  friends  and 
attendants. 

The  denouement  came  on  29th  August,  when 
the  Grand  Duke  was  informed  by  Bianca's 
surgeon-accoucheur,  that  she  had  been  delivered 
of  a  child — a  boy !  Francesco  was  almost  frantic 
with  delight,  and  he  hastened  to  his  beloved 
Bianca's  bedside.  Picking  up  his  child,  he 
fondled  him  tenderly  and  almost  smothered  him 
with  kisses,  and  at  once  gave  orders  for  a  cere- 
monial baptism.  Antonio,  he  called  him — after 
the  kindly  patron  saint  of  that  auspicious  day — 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

when    he   personally   handed    the   child    to    the 
Archbishop  at  the  font. 

The  Grand  Duchess  was  inexpressibly  shocked, 
she  refused  to  see  her  husband,  shut  herself  up  in 
her  own  apartments,  and  demanded  an  escort  to 
Vienna!  The  news  was  not  long  in  reaching 
Rome,  and  it  made  Cardinal  Ferdinando  furious. 
In  a  moment  all  the  blandishments  of  "the 
Venetian "  were  dissipated ;  the  better  terms 
lately  established  in  Florence  were  renounced, 
and  the  angry  Prince,  in  unmeasured  language, 
asserted  that  the  child  was  not  Francesco's. 

He  knew  well  enough  that  what  had  come 
to  pass,  unless  unchallenged,  would  imperil  his 
presumptive  title.  First  it  was  sought  to  throw 
doubt  upon  Bianca's  actual  maternity,  and  next  to 
secure  the  person  of  the  little  boy. 

Bianca  and  Antonio,  under  a  strong  guard, 
were  sent  off  to  Pratolino,  hers  and  Francesco's 
best-loved  retreat — they  had  together  planned  its 
beauties.  There,  during  her  make-believe  con- 
valescence, she  came  to  consider  the  very  serious 
nature  of  her  love's  stratagem,  and  she  determined 
to  make  a  full  confession  to  her  lover.  The 
Grand  Duke  was  thunderstruck,  but  at  once  he 
recognised  the  emphatic  importance  of  secrecy  ;  for, 
as  Vincenzio  Borghini  quaintly  said  :  "  Florence 
was  the  greatest  market  in  the  world  for  tissues 
and  materials  of  all  kinds,  and  full  of  evil  eyes, 
and  ears,  and  tongues  !  " 

223 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Meanwhile  Ferdinando  had  not  let  the  water 
run  under  the  Arno  bridges  for  nothing.  He 
discovered  the  surgeon-accoucheur  who  had 
attended  Madonna  Bianca — one  Giovanni  Gazzi. 
He  maintained  the  fact  of  the  confinement,  but 
incidentally  named  the  wet  nurse,  Giovanna  Santi. 
This  woman  admitted  that  she  had  been  instru- 
mental in  the  introduction  into  Madonna  Bianca's 
chamber  of  the  newly-born  son  of  a  reputable 
woman,  who  lived  with  her  husband  behind  the 
Stinche. 

No  trace  could  be  found  of  these  humble 
parents  of  Francesco's  supposititious  child,  and 
all  Ferdinando's  enquiries  were  fruitless.  Many 
were  the  tales  rife,  in  and  out  of  the  palaces  and 
markets,  but  neither  the  Grand  Duke  nor  Bianca 
took  any  steps  to  refute  them,  and  after  being,  as 
usual,  a  nine  days'  wonder,  the  subject  dropped, 
apparently. 

The  Grand  Duchess  Giovanna  gave  birth,  on 
19th  May,  the  following  year,  to  a  son — a  sickly 
child  to  be  sure,  but  the  undoubted  heir  of  his 
father.  Ferdinando's  hopes  were  shattered,  but 
he  had  not  done  with  Bianca  Buonaventuri. 
Within  nine  months,  on  9th  February,  Giovanna 
died,  somewhat  suddenly,  and  the  Cardinal  failed 
not  to  intimate  that  Bianca  was  the  cause  thereof, 
and  to  name  poison  as  her  means !  The  truth 
is,  that  the  Grand  Duchess  one  day  getting  out 
of    her   sedan-chair,    slipped   upon    the   polished 

224 


GIOVANNA    DE'    MEDICI. 
First  wife  and  consort  of  the  Grand  Duke  Francesco,  with  her  son  Filippo. 

I'nknown  Painter. 
I'FFI/I    GALLERY,    I-LORENXH. 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

marble  floor,  and,  being  again  near  her  confine- 
ment, a  miscarriage  resulted,  from  which  she  never 
recovered. 

Within  two  months  of  the  burial  of  sour- 
tempered,  unlovable  Giovanna,  the  Grand  Duke 
married  Bianca,  Pietro  Buonaventuri's  widow, 
privately  in  the  chapel  of  the  Palazzo  Vecchio. 

One  immediate  result  of  this  marriage  was  the 
quasi-legitimisationofthechild  Antonio — avigorous 
youngster  and  certain  to  outlive  frail  little  Filippo. 

Reconciliation  with  Venice,  public  marriage, 
and  Coronation  were  in  due  order  celebrated, 
and  Bianca  Cappello,  "the  true  and  undoubted 
daughter  of  Venice,"  was  enthroned  in  the  Duomo, 
as  the  true  and  lawful  Grand  Duchess  of  Tuscany ! 
Cardinal  Ferdinando  watched  all  these  cere- 
monials from  afar — the  only  one  of  his  family 
who  declined  to  honour  the  Grand  Duke  and 
Grand  Duchess  with  his  presence  during  the 
festivities. 

Represented  by  an  inferior  official  of  his  house- 
hold, he  remained  in  Rome,  closely  shut  up  in 
his  palace,  a  spectacle  to  the  world  at  large  of 
ungovernable  prejudice  and  foiled  ambition.  His 
cogitations,  however,  were  very  grateful,  for  he 
was  working  out  in  his  intriguing  brain  a  ready 
method  for  ridding  himself,  not  alone  of  the  two 
children,  bars  to  his  pretensions,  but  of  the  Grand 
Duke  and  Grand  Duchess  also !  Ferdinando 
was  determined  to  succeed  Francesco  as  Sovereign 
of  Tuscany,  come  what  might ! 
p  225 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Never  was  a  man  more  changed  than  the 
Grand  Duke  Francesco  when  he  placed  the  new 
Grand  Duchess  beside  him  on  his  throne.  Twelve 
years  of  gloom  and  disappointment  gave  way 
before  the  advent  of  the  "  Sun  of  Venice." 

The  best,  happiest,  and  most  popular  years 
of  his  reign  exactly  synchronise  with  the  period 
of  Bianca's  ascendency.  No  strife  of  parties,  no 
pestilence,  no  foreign  war,  black-marked  those 
years.  Arts  and  crafts  revived  with  the  increase 
of  population  and  of  confidence,  and  men  began 
to  agree  that  there  was  something  after  all  to  be 
said — and  to  be  said  heartily — for  Macchiavelli's 
"Prince,"  and  his  idea  of  a  "//  Governo  cTun 
solor 

In  this  glorious  eventide  of  the  Renaissance 
were  reproduced  some  of  the  magnificence  of 
its  heyday,  under  Lucrezia  and  Lorenzo  de' 
Medici. 

In  the  early  days  of  Francesco's  infatuation 
for  Bianca  he  had  given  forth  an  impassioned 
madrigal,  which  once  more  he  sang  to  her  as  his 
good  angel-guardian  :— 

"  Around  my  frail  and  battered  barque 
There  is  always  serenely  swimming. 
And  wakefully  watching  me, 
Lest  I  perish,  a  beautiful  and  powerful  Dolphin. 
Warn'd  and  shielded  from  every  buffet 
Of  the  deadly  wave.     I  feel  secure. 
Fierce  winds  no  longer  cause  me  fear. 
I  seek  succour  no  more  from  oars  and  sails 
Safely  accompanied  by  my  loving  Guardian  !  " 
226 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Francesco's  devotion  for  Bianca  continued  as 
the  years  sped  on  their  way,  and  he  noted  with 
supreme  satisfaction  that  every  word  and  action 
of  hers  were  marked  with  unquestioning  affection. 
The  loves  of  Francesco  and  Bianca  at  Pratolino 
recalled  those  of  Giuliano  and  Simonetta  at 
Fiesole,  whilst  the  wits,  and  beaux,  and  beauteous 
women  who  consorted  there,  revived  the  glories 
of  the  Platonic  Academy. 

Montaigne,  who  visited  the  Grand  Duke  and 
Grand  Duchess,  both  at  the  Pitti  Palace  and  at 
Pratolino,  in  1580,  says:  "I  was  surprised  to 
see  her  take  the  place  of  honour  above  her 
husband.  .  .  .  She  is  very  handsome  .  .  .  and 
seems  to  have  entirely  subjugated  the  Prince." 

The  Cardinal  was  not  unobservant  of  the  trend 
of  Florentine  affairs.  Plots  and  counterplots  were 
quite  to  his  liking.  The  Pucci  conspiracy  and  the 
vengeance  upon  the  Capponi  affected  him  closely. 
Francesco  was  not  ignorant  of  the  patronage  and 
encourao-ement  vouchsafed  to  his  secret  enemies 
by  his  eminent  brother  in  Rome — and  he  watched 
each  move. 

The  peace  and  prosperity  which  marked  the 
progress  of  the  "City  of  the  Lion  and  the  Lily," 
after  Bianca  Buonaventuri  mounted  the  Grand 
Ducal  throne,  were  not  regarded  complacently  by 
the  uneasy  Cardinal.  The  very  fact  that  she  was 
the  admirable  cause  thereof,  embittered  his  Emin- 
ence's soul,  and  his  spleen  was  mightily  enlarged 
by  the  creatures  who  pandered  to  his  vicious  ill- 

227 


The  Tragedies   of  the  Medici 

nature.  The  fascination  of  the  Goddess  en- 
gendered detestation  as  love  was  turned  once 
more  to  hate  in  the  crucible  of  his  passions. 

"  She  is  nothing  but  a  strumpet,  and  without 
a  drop  of  royal  blood,"  so  he  reasoned,  and  so 
he  spoke  ;  and  he  backed  up  his  aphorism  by 
conniving  at  the  foul  report  in  1582,  which  accused 
"  Bianca  Buonaventuri  " — as  he  always  styled  her 
— of  causing  poison  to  be  administered  to  poor 
little  Filippo — Giovanna's  puny,  sickly  child ! 
He  even  had  the  audacity  to  accuse  Francesco 
of  complicity,  because  he  had  ordered  no  elaborate 
court  mourning,  conveniently  ignoring  the  fact 
that  a  gracious  compliment  was  paid  to  Spanish 
custom  and  court  etiquette,  by  the  simplicity  of 
the  obsequies. 

Plotters  of  other  men's  wrongs  were  ever 
inconsistent !  One  would  have  thought  that 
Ferdinando  would  have  hailed  the  removal  of  the 
only  legitimate  heir,  before  himself,  to  the  Grand 
Duchy,  but  the  delirium  of  jealousy  and  the  fury 
of  animosity  in  the  Cardinal's  evil  heart,  found  a 
sort  of  culmination  two  years  later.  Bianca's 
daughter,  Pellegrina,  the  only  offspring  of  Pietro 
Buonaventuri,  gave  birth  to  a  child.  She  had 
married,  shortly  after  the  public  nuptials  of  the 
Grand  Duke  and  Grand  Duchess,  Count  Ulisse 
Bentivoglio  di  Magiola  of  Bologna — a  by  no 
means  happy  marriage  as  it  turned  out.  This 
child,  a  boy,  their  first-born — indeed  poor,  pretty 
Pellegrina's     love-child — the     Cardinal    affirmed 

228 


The   Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

"  Bianca  Buonaventuri "  had  tried  to  pass  off  as 
her  own — another  subterfuge  confirmative  of  the 
first,  and  that  his  brother  was  conversant  with  the 
intrigue ! 

The  Grand  Duke  met  the  gossip  with  impas- 
sive silence — the  wisest  thing  he  could  have 
done — and  the  Grand  Duchess  laid  herself  out 
to  make  Cardinal  Ferdinando  utterly  ashamed 
of  himself  and  his  foul  aspersions.  The  integrity 
of  her  conduct,  and  Francesco's  sapient  conduct 
of  the  Government  were  the  admiration  of  all 
Italy. 

So  struck  was  the  Pope  with  the  peace  and 
happiness  of  the  Medicean  rule,  and  the  personal 
characteristics  of  "  the  good  wife  and  beneficent 
consort,"  as  he  styled  her,  that  he  bestowed  upon 
the  Grand  Duchess  the  rare  distinction  of  the 
"  Golden  Rose  "  !  At  first  his  Holiness  desired 
the  Cardinal  de'  Medici  to  head  the  special 
mission  as  Legate,  and  talked  seriously  to  his 
Eminence  upon  his  relations  with  the  Sovereigns 
of  Tuscany.  He  pointed  out  quite  clearly  the 
line  of  conduct  Ferdinando  should  pursue — the 
direct  converse  of  the  position  he  had  taken  up. 

The  Cardinal  began  to  reflect  that  the  death 
of  little  Prince  Filippo,  and  the  fact  that  Francesco 
had  not  proclaimed  Antonio  his  heir-apparent,  left 
him  at  all  events  the  undoubted  heir-presumptive. 
Consequently,  when  the  Florentine  Mission, 
under  Archbishop  Guiseppe  Donzelle  of  Sorrento, 

returned    to    Rome,    and    the    Legate    conveyed 

229 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

to  him  a  cordial  invitation  from  the  Tuscan 
Sovereigns  to  visit  Florence,  he  accepted  it  with 
the  best  grace  he  could  command — keeping,  at 
the  same  time,  his  true  feelings  and  intentions 
to  himself. 

Pageant  and  dirge  trip  up  each  other  often 
enough  in  the  course  of  human  life !  The  lives 
especially  of  sovereigns,  through  the  strong  light 
ever  beating  upon  their  thrones,  are  always 
exposed  to  vicissitudes  of  fortune.  The  Papal 
Mission  had  scarcely  passed  out  of  recollection, 
and  everything  in  Florence  was  happy  and 
prosperous — sunshine  is  always  brightest  before 
eclipse — when  the  spectre  of  tragedy  again  cast 
its  dark  shadow  over  the  path  of  the  Grand 
Duke  and  Grand  Duchess. 

A  right  merry  party  was  that  which  set  off 
from    the    Palazzo    Pitti    to    the    Villa    Poororio  a 

oo 

Caiano  one  bright  morning  in  October  1587. 
The  "hunter's  moon  was  up,"  for  the  harvest 
had  been  gathered  in,  and  the  new  luscious 
grapes  were  in  the  vat.  Pheasant  awaited  the 
coming  of  the  sportsmen  in  the  home-coppices, 
wild  boar  in  the  thickets  of  Monte  Ginestra,  and 
other  game  was  ready  for  the  hawk-on-wrist  and 
the  dog-in-leash  along  the  smiling  valley  of  the 
Ombrone. 

Hunting  and  sporting  parties  were  now  quite 
in  the  Grand  Duchess'  way.  Unused  to  such 
exploits  upon  the  canals  and  lagunes  of  Venice, 

230 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

she  .had,  from  the  moment  of  her  elevation, 
sympathetically  entered  into  the  joys  of  horse- 
manship and  the  pastimes  of  the  countryside. 
Few  could  beat  her  in  point-to-point — she  feared 
no  obstacle,  nor  dreaded  accident,  the  charofe  of 
wild  orame  terrified  her  not.' 

"Magnificent,"  she  wrote,  on  15th  November 
1586,  "was  the  sport.  ...  I  actually  saw  four 
very  large  boars  fall  dead  at  my  feet."  The 
Grand  Duke,  of  course,  as  became  "a  perfect 
gentleman,"  was  at  one  with  Bianca  in  love  for, 
and  skill  in,  all  exercises  in  the  open  air.  His 
seat  was  firm,  his  aim  was  good,  and  he  revelled 
in  the  chase. 

Still  of  Poggio  a  'Caiano  he  had  unpleasing 
memories,  for  there  he  met  Giovanna  of  Austria, 
and  had  the  first  taste  of  her  ill-humour  as  he 
rode  by  her  side  at  her  scornful  entry  into 
Florence,  twelve  years  before.  But  Bianca  had 
wrought  a  vast  change  in  his  disposition  and 
environment.  She  had  interwoven  fancy  and 
reality,  and  Francesco  was  now  serenely  happy. 
Often  did  he  sing  tender  madrigals  as  they 
together  sauntered  in  the  woods  and  indulofed  in 
pastoral  pursuits. 

"Sing!  sing!  ye  birds  I  am  wide  awake 
Tho'  silent  'mid  your  tender  harmony ; 
And  yet  I  would  fain  join  your  sweet  concert, 
Whilst  upon  the  face  of  fair  Bianca, 
'  Mirror  of  Love ' — I  fix  my  yearning  eyes." 

The  Cardinal  was  one  of  this  particular  hunt- 
231 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

ing  party — indeed,  the  hunt  had  been  arranged 
entirely  in  his  honour,  and  he  expressed  himself 
as  charmed  with  everything — and  especially  with 
the  Grand  Duchess.  This  was  his  first  State 
visit  to  his  brother's  Court  and  his  affability  knew 
no  bounds.  Bianca,  on  her  part,  laid  herself  out 
to  entertain  her  brother-in-law,  and  made  herself 
especially  attractive  and  gracious.  The  presence 
of  the  Archbishop  of  Florence  added  greatly  to 
her  satisfaction  and  Francesco's.  Very  wisely, 
young  Antonio  was  sent  to  Pratolino  with  his 
governor  and  tutors,  and  in  the  merry  company 
no  personality  could,  in  any  way,  recall  unhappy 
incidents  of  the  past.  The  days  were  passed  in 
the  exhilaration  of  sport,  and  the  evening  repasts 
were  followed  by  animated  conversation,  ballets, 
music  and  recitations.  All  the  brightest  orna- 
ments of  the  Court  were  present  at  the  Grand 
Duchess'  behest. 

Bianca,  herself,  in  the  highest  spirits,  dressed, 
sang,  and  danced,  bewitchingly.  The  frolics  of 
the  Orte  Oricellari  were  transferred  to  the 
delightful  hunting-box,  and  everybody  and  every- 
thing was  as  gay  as  gay  could  be,  and  no  one 
troubled  about  the  morrow. 

Alas,  when  the  merriment  was  at  its  height,  a 
sudden  stop  was  put  to  all  the  festivities,  for, 
during  the  night  of  8th  October,  the  Grand  Duke 
was  taken  ill  with  severe  spasms  and  violent 
sickness.  The  Grand  Duchess  was  summoned  to 
his  side,  and  full  of  alarm  and  devotion,  she  at 

232 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

once  despatched  a  mounted  messenger  into 
Florence  to  command  the  attendance  of  the  Court 
physicians — Messed  Giulio  Agnolo  da  Barga  and 
Ferdinando  Cino  da  Roma. 

They  assured  her  that  their  princely  patient 
was  merely  suffering  from  an  error  in  diet — the 
dish  of  mushrooms,  of  which  he  had  partaken 
freely  overnight,  had  not  been  well  prepared — but 
they  considered  that  all  ill  effects  would  disappear 
as  suddenly  as  they  had  arisen.  The  report  of 
Francesco's  illness  reached  the  Vatican,  and  the 
Pope  addressed  a  kindly  letter  to  the  Grand 
Duchess,  conveying  a  good-natured  homily  to  the 
Grand  Duke  upon  the  evils  of  gluttony  ! 

Bianca  cast  aside  her  sparkling  coryphean 
tinsel,  and,  putting  on  a  quiet  gown  and  natty 
little  cap,  appointed  herself  nurse-in-chief  to  her 
dear  husband,  and  no  one  was  better  fitted  for 
the  post.  Torquato  Tasso,  her  Poet- Laureate, 
noted  her  tender,  compassionate  character  and  her 
sweet  sympathy  with  human  infirmities.  In  1578 
he  had  put  forth  the  first  of  his  Cinqtianta 
Madrigali,  with  a  pathetic  dedication  to  the 
Grand  Duchess. 

"Had  your  Highness,"  he  wrote,  "not 
experienced  yourself  both  good  and  evil  fortune, 
you  could  not  so  perfectly  understand,  as  you  do, 
the  misfortunes  of  others."  He  goes  on,  in  his 
Rime,  to  extol  his  patroness  : 

"  Lady  Bianca,  a  kindly  refuge 
Holds  and  cheers  one  in  sad  and  weary  pain." 
233 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

Matters  assumed,  however,  a  very  different 
aspect  on  the  morning  of  the  tenth,  for  the  Grand 
Duchess  was  seized  with  symptoms  exactly 
similar  to  those  of  the  Grand  Duke,  whose 
condition  by  no  means  warranted  the  confidence 
of  the  physicians.  Alarm  spread  through  the 
villa  and  the  guests  departed  in  the  greatest 
anxiety.  The  Cardinal  alone  remained,  and  his 
lack  of  solicitude  and  general  indifference  gave 
the  members  of  the  suite  occasion  for  remark  and 
suspicion. 

He  assumed  the  air  of  the  master  of  the  place, 
and  gave  orders  as  he  deemed  well.  Into  the 
household  he  introduced  some  servants  of  his 
own,  and  ordered  out  his  Florentine  bodyguard. 
Urgent  messages  passed  to  and  fro  between  him 
and  his  brother  Piero  de'  Medici,  and  communi- 
cations were  opened  with  Domina  Cammilla,  the 
Cardinal's  stepmother  in  the  convent  of  Saint 
Monica.  These  did  not  allay  the  universal 
distrust. 

Bianca's  own  physician  failed  to  diagnose  her 
indisposition,  whilst  the  Court  physicians  scouted 
the  idea — already  being  translated  into  words — 
that  the  sudden  attacks  of  the  Grand  Ducal  couple 
were  due  to  poison.  What  else  could  it  be  ? 
The  symptoms  pointed  that  way  and  no  other ! 

On  the  third  day  tertiary  fever  intervened, 
with  incessant  thirst  and  fits  of  delirium,  and 
Francesco's  condition  caused  the  gravest  anxiety. 
Bianca  was  inconsolable.     Unable  to  wait  upon 

234 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

him,  and  suffering  exactly  as  was  he,  she  penned, 
propped  up  with  pillows,  a  piteous  appeal  to  the 
Pope,  in  which  she  craved  his  Holiness's  prayers 
and  benedictions,  and  also  his  fatherly  protection 
for  Francesco  and  herself  She  said  :  "  I  do  not 
feel  at  all  sure  of  the  Cardinal."  The  pontiff 
replied  sympathetically,  and  assured  her  that 
no  wrong  should  be  done  her  or  the  Grand 
Duke  by  anybody. 

Francesco  showed  no  signs  of  improvement, 
but  gradually  got  weaker.  When  too  late  for  any 
remedial  measures  to  have  effect,  the  physicians, 
in  private  conference,  agreed  that  the  cause  of 
his  seizure  was  poison,  but — looking  from  the 
clenched  hand  of  the  dying  prince  to  the  open 
palm  of  his  successor  —  they,  in  sordid  self- 
interest,  held  their  tongues.  Who  had  admin- 
istered the  fatal  drug,  and  when,  and  where,  had 
better  not  be  published!  If  by  a  fraternal  hand, 
then  it  was  no  concern  of  theirs ! 

The  Grand  Duke  expired  in  agony  on  the 
tenth  day  after  his  seizure.  Bianca  could  not 
leave  her  couch  to  soothe  his  last  moments.  She 
was  nearly  as  far  gone  as  he,  and  her  attendants 
waited  upon  her  with  the  gloomiest  forebodings. 
To  her  impassioned  cries  for  her  husband,  they 
returned  deceptive  answers.  None  of  her  kith 
and  kin  were  near  to  comfort  her.  Her  only 
brother,  Vettor,  had  been  dismissed  the  Tuscan 
Court  in  the  year  of  her  coronation  for  unseenly 
and  presumptuous  behaviour,   and  his  wife  went 

235 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

back  with  him  to  Venice.  There  was  no  time 
and  no  one  to  correspond  with  her  favourite 
cousin  Andrea.  Her  tenderly-loved  daughter, 
Pellegrina  was  at  Bologna,  nursing  her  own  little 
Bianca,  lately  born,  and  could  not  travel  so  far 
as  Florence. 

Little  Antonio  would  have  been  an  affectionate 
companion  in  his  loving  foster-mother's  illness, 
but  the  child  was  at  Pratolino  with  Maria  and 
Eleanora,  unhappy  Giovanna's  daughters.  The 
former,  just  fifteen  years  old,  had  been  Bianca's 
special  care.  She  was  a  precocious  child,  and 
her  stepmother  imparted  to  her  some  of  her 
own  delightful  inspirations — the  two  were  in- 
separable. What  a  comfort  she  would  have 
been  in  o-entle  ministrations  to  the  sufferinof 
Grand  Duchess ! 

Perhaps,  had  pain  -  racked,  dying  Bianca 
imagined  the  splendid  destiny  of  the  attractive 
young  Princess  Maria,  she  might  have  gathered  no 
little  solace.  Could  she  but  have  seen  her  own 
example  and  her  precepts  reincarnated  in  a 
Queen  of  France — for  Maria  became  the  consort 
of  Henry  H.,  and  ruled  him,  his  court  and 
realm — she  would  have  turned  her  face  to  the 
wall  with  greater  equanimity. 

Just  before  his  death  the  Grand  Duke  sent  for 
Ferdinando,  told  him  he  had  been  poisoned  by 
no  one  but  himself,  and  charged  him  with  the 
double  murder,  for  he  had  constant  news,  of 
course,    of   Bianca's    illness.      He    asked    him    in 

236 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

that  solemn  hour  to  honour  both  of  them  in 
burial,  to  protect  the  little  boy  Antonio  and  his 
two  young  daughters,  Maria  and  Eleanora,  and 
to  treat  kindly  all  who  had  been  faithful  and 
true  to  Bianca  and  himself.  Then  he  gave  him 
the  password  for  the  Tuscan  fortresses,  and  asked 
for  his  confessor,  and  so  he  passed  away.  As 
soon  as  Francesco  was  dead,  Ferdinando  de- 
manded to  be  admitted  to  the  bedside  of  Bianca. 
Concealing  from  her  the  fatal  news,  he  intimated 
that  Francesco  had  consigned  to  him  the  conduct 
of  affairs,  and  in  the  most  heartless,  inhuman 
fashion  possible,  bade  her  prepare  for  death ! 

"  See,"  he  added,  "  I  have  brought  your 
friend,  Abbioso  ;  you  may  as  well  make  your  con- 
fession to  him  as  Francesco  has  done  to  Frate 
Confetti." 

Bianca,  though  only  partially  conscious,  knew 
exactly  what  the  Cardinal  meant,  and  railed  at 
him  for  his  cruelty.  In  delirium  she  made  passion- 
ate appeals  to  Francesco,  and  wildly  denounced 
her  treacherous  brother-in-law.  Her  cries  re- 
sounded through  the  villa,  but  they  stirred  no 
feeling  of  regret  or  compunction  in  Ferdinando's 
breast.  He  gloated,  fiend-like,  over  his  victim's 
sufferings.  It  was  not  by  chance  he  procured  the 
potent  poison  he  had  used.  The  empiric-medico 
at  Salerno  had  been  well  paid  to  furnish  a  potion 
that  should,  by  its  slow  but  deadly  action,  prolong 
the  tortures  of  the  sufferers !  A  less  vindictive 
murderer  would  have  secured  his  victim's  quick 

237 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

release,  but,  during  ten  terrible  days  of  sickness, 
delirium  and  agony,  he  witnessed  the  inevitable 
progress  of  his  vengeance !  If  Cosimo,  his  father, 
had  called  his  young  son  Garzia  "  Cain,"  what 
would  not  he  have  called  the  man,  the  blood- 
thirsty Ferdinando? 

Bianca's  illness  followed  precisely  the  course 
of  the  Grand  Duke's.  The  tearful  faces  of  her 
attendants,  and  the  noise  of  preparations  for  his 
burial,  conveyed  to  her  in  calmer  moments  the 
terrible  truth,  and  she  had  no  longer  any  wish  to 
live — parted  from  Francesco.  Bianca  was  already 
dead.  She  called  the  bishop  and  made  a  full  con- 
fession of  her  whole  life's  story,  hiding  nothing, 
palliating  nothing.  Out  of  a  full  heart  she  spoke 
— that  heart  which  had  been  the  source  of  all  her 
love  and  her  happiness,  her  misery  and  her  sin. 

Antonio  she  commended  to  Bishop  Abbioso's 
care,  and  begged  him  send  the  news  of  her  death 
and  Francesco's  to  Cavaliere  Bartolommeo  Cap- 
pello  at  Venice.  After  absolution  and  last  com- 
munion, Bianca  Cappello,  **  Daughter  of  Venice," 
Grand  Duchess  of  Tuscany,  breathed  her  last  in 
peace — the  delirium  having  abated — on  the  even- 
ing of  30th  October,  just  two  days  after  her 
husband. 

A  post-mortem  examination,  or  at  least  the 
form  of  one,  upon  the  Grand  Duke  revealed,  it 
was  said,  advanced  disease  of  the  liver,  the  conse- 
quences of  his  unwisdom  in  the  use  of  cordials  and 
elixirs !     With  the  connivance  of  the  Court  physi- 

238 


R\^    T^     II    ^\\(-.^'7D■7C  rrR7l-!1  Ttl 


DON   ANTONIO   DE'   MEDICI. 
Supposititious  Son  of  Bianca  Cappello-Buonaventuri, 


From  an  engraving  by  Pietro  Antonio  Pazzi. 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

cians,  Ferdinando  put  out  a  proclamation  that  the 
Grand  Duke  and  Grand  Duchess — he  was  com- 
pelled to  use  the  title  then  in  speaking  of  Bianca 
— had  died  from  "  attacks  of  malarial  fever, 
induced  by  the  unhealthy  atmosphere  of  Poggio 
a  Caiano." 

Francesco's  obsequies  were  attended  by  all  the 
stately  ceremonies  usual  in  the  Medici  family. 
Conveyed  into  Florence  by  the  Misericordia  on 
the  evening  of  his  death,  his  body  was  exposed 
for  three  days  in  state  in  the  Palazzo  Pitti,  and 
then  carried  in  solemn  procession  to  the  church 
of  San  Lorenzo  for  burial. 

If  merely  to  save  appearances,  or  to  conceal 
his  real  intention,  the  new  Grand  Duke  ordered 
the  body  of  the  Grand  Duchess  to  be  placed 
beside  that  of  her  husband  in  the  Cappella  Medici 
of  the  church.  For  six  brief  hours  it  was  suffered 
to  remain,  and  then,  at  midnight,  agents  of  Ferdi- 
nando, well  paid  for  their  profanity,  deported  all 
that  was  mortal  of  the  brilliant  "  woman  whom  he 
hated "  to  an  unknown  grave  in  the  paupers' 
burial  plot  beyond  the  city  boundary!  "For," 
said  he,  "we  will  have  none  of  her  among  our 
dead ! " 

Such  was  the  end  of  the  beautiful  and  accom- 
plished Bianca  Cappello — "  Bianca,  so  richly  en- 
dowed," as  wrote  one  of  her  panegyrists,  "by 
nature,  and  so  refined  by  discipline,  able  to  sym- 
pathise with  and  help  all  who  approached  her — 

239 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

her  fame  for  good  will  last  for  ever !  "  The  wiles 
of  the  serpent  and  his  cruel  coils  had  crushed  the 
"  Daughter  of  Venice  "  :  it  was  the  triumph  of  an 
unworthy  man  over  a  lovable  woman.  She  was 
not  the  only  victim  Ferdinando's  poison  over- 
powered— Giovanni  de'  Pucci,  whom  the  Pope  was 
about  to  advance  to  the  Cardinalate,  an  inoffensive 
ecclesiastic,  incurred  Cardinal  Ferdinando's  dis- 
pleasure by  his  sympathy  with  the  Grand  Duchess. 
He  died  mysteriously  after  drinking  a  glass  of 
wine  which  Ferdinando  had  poured  out  for  him  !  * 

Bianca  had  not  been  many  days  buried  when 
ominous  reports  began  to  be  rife  all  over  Florence 
and  along  the  countryside.  People  asked  each 
other  why  the  body  of  the  Grand  Duchess  had 
been  snatched.  "Was  it,"  they  said,  "to  hide 
the  real  culprit  and  to  stifle  awkward  questions  ?  " 
The  tonofues  of  the  nio^ht-birds,  who  had  thrown 
that  precious  body  aside  contemptuously,  and  had 
not  been  permitted  to  mark  the  grave  in  any 
way,  were  loosened,  they  gave  the  name  of  their 
employer — Ferdinando's  major-domo. 

That  was  quite  enough  to  fix  preferentially 
the  guilt  upon   the  guilty  party,   but  when    the 

*  In  1857,  when  the  Medici  graves  at  San  Lorenzo  were  opened, 
the  bodies  of  the  Grand  Duke  Francesco  and  the  Grand  Duchess 
Giovanna  were  easily  identified.  The  bodies  also  of  Maria,  the 
unhappy  victim  of  her  father,  Cosimo,  with  the  fatal  wound  ;  of 
Eleanora  de  Garzia  de  Toledo,  Piero's  murdered  wife  ;  and  of 
Isabella,  Duchess  of  Bracciano,  were  also  recognised.  All  five 
were  in  wooden  chests,  but  robbed  of  the  costly  grave-clothes  and 
jewels.  There  was  no  trace  of  the  body  of  the  Grand  Duchess 
Bianca  ! 

240 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

medical  advisers  of  the  new  Grand  Duke  admitted 
reluctantly  that  neither  Francesco  nor  Bianca  had 
died  from  malarial  causes,  the  chitter-chatter  of 
the  villa  and  the  palace  became  unmuzzled,  and 
first  one  and  then  another  domestic — more  or 
less  personal — contributed  his  piece  of  private 
knowledge  of  the  facts  of  the  double  tragedy. 

Putting  these  all  together  piecemeal,  the  story 
reads  somewhat  as  follows  :  Cardinal  Ferdinando 
had  for  a  very  long  time  determined  that  it  was 
absolutely  essential  to  his  succession  to  the  Grand 
Duchy  that  Don  Francesco  should  not  be  per- 
mitted to  have  a  child — a  boy,  by  his  second  wife, 
Bianca. 

Francesco's  health  was  indifferent  and  he 
seemed  likely  not  to  live  long,  but,  be  that  as  it 
might,  the  Cardinal  joined  the  hunting-party  at 
Poggia  a  Caiano  fully  intent  upon  making  an 
attempt  upon  the  lives  of  both  Francesco  and 
Bianca.  Among  his  suite  was  a  valet,  one  Silvio, 
a  man  of  fiendish  ingenuity,  who  had  made 
himself  invaluable  to  his  master  in  many  an 
intrigue.  To  him  Ferdinando  committed  the 
task  of  mixing  the  poison,  which  he  procured 
from  Salerno,  in  the  food  or  beverage  of  the 
Grand  Ducal  couple. 

Silvio  made  several  attempts  to  accomplish 
his  commission,  but  the  Grand  Duke  and  Grand 
Duchess  did  not  touch  the  dishes — specially  treated 
as  they  passed  from  the  kitchen  to  the  hall — whilst 
in  their  cooling  wine  cups,  so  much  beloved  of 
Q  241 


The  Tragedies   of  the  Medici 

Francesco,  the  poison  failed  of  its  effect.  To  be 
sure,  two  days  before  the  Grand  Duke's  actual 
seizure,  he  rejected  a  game-pasty  which  had  a 
peculiar  taste,  and  the  Grand  Duchess  had,  as  she 
thought,  detected  her  brother-in-law  playing  with 
the  wine  glasses,  which  she  at  once  caused  to  be 
replaced  by  others. 

Upon  the  evening  when  a  ragout  of  mush- 
rooms was  served  at  the  supper-table,  it  was 
observed  that  the  Cardinal  quite  emphatically 
declined  to  partake  of  the  dish,  but  that  he  pressed 
Francesco  and  Bianca  to  eat  largely  of  it !  Bianca 
ate  sparingly,  and  advised  her  husband  to  follow 
her  example  ;  her  intuition  perceived  danger  in 
the  delicacy,  alas,  it  was  in  vain ! 

This  was  all,  perhaps,  that  came  out  concern- 
ing the  tragedy,  but  the  Cardinal  met  the  story 
with  another.  He  caused  it  to  be  bruited  about 
that  Bianca  had  tried  to  circumvent  his  death ! 
For  this  purpose  she  had  herself  made  a  cake, 
which  she  urged  him  to  eat,  but  which  Francesco 
insisted  upon  tasting,  whereupon  she  consumed 
what  he  had  left.  The  Cardinal  further  put 
into  the  Grand  Duchess's  mouth  the  plausible 
lament :  "  We  will  die  together  if  Ferdinando 
escapes ! "  > 

Nobody  believed  this  version,  which  merely 
confirmed  the  real  truth,  for  neither  Francesco  or 
Bianca  had  ever  expressed  a  wish  for  Ferdinando's 
death. 

Within  three  hours  of  the  death  of  Francesco, 
242 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Ferdinando  rode  swiftly  into  Florence,  accom- 
panied by  a  suite  of  his  own  creatures — not  a 
single  officer  of  the  Grand  Ducal  house  accom- 
panied him.  His  escort  was  fully  armed  and 
so  was  Ferdinando.  Stopped  at  the  gate  by  the 
guard,  he  gave,  to  the  utter  surprise  of  the 
subaltern,  the  Grand  Ducal  password,  and  was 
accorded  the  Sovereign's  salute.  Thence  he 
passed  at  a  gallop  to  the  Palazzo  Pitti,  where  he 
placed  personally  his  seal  upon  the  great  doors, 
and  then  put  up  at  the  Palazzo  Medici. 

A  messenger  was  despatched  before  dawn  to 
the  Dean  of  the  Duomo  to  order  the  big  bell  to 
sound.  This  was  the  first  intimation  to  Florence 
that  the  Grand  Duke  Francesco  was  dead.  The 
Lords  of  the  Council  hastened  from  their  beds  to 
the  Palazzo  Vecchio,  where  Ferdinando  joined 
them,  and,  there  and  then,  required  them  to  pay 
him  their  allegriance. 

Thus  Ferdinando  de'  Medici  became  third 
Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany.  His  character  as  a 
ruler  may  not  be  discussed  here  at  length,  but 
of  him  it  has  been  succinctly  said:  "He  had  as 
much  talent  for  government  as  is  compatible  with 
the  absence  of  all  virtue,  and  as  much  pride  as 
can  exist  without  true  nobility  of  mind." 

When  Pietro  Buonaventuri  so  complacently 
resigned  his  bewitching  young  wife  to  be  the 
plaything  of  Don  Francesco  de'  Medici,  he  also 
yielded  up  the  guardianship  of  his  little  daughter, 

243 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Pellegrina,  and  she  lived  with  her  mother  in  the 
private  mansion  Bianca  had  received  from  the 
Prince  near  the  Pitti  Palace. 

At  the  time  of  the  assassination  of  Pietro  the 
child  was  eight  years  old — a  lovely  girl,  resembling, 
in  person  and  manners,  her  attractive  mother. 
The  Prince  took  her  under  his  special  care, 
in  fact  adopted  her,  and  treated  her  as  if  she  was 
his  own  dear  daughter.  Naturally,  the  Duchess 
Giovanna  resented  this  arrangement,  and  strictly 
forbade  her  own  daughter,  Eleanora — a  year  Pelle- 
grina's  junior — to  have  anything  to  do  with  the 
base-born  child  of  her  hated  rival. 

Nevertheless,  the  sparkling,  merry  little  girl 
became  the  pet  of  the  Court — where  she  was 
always  greeted  as  "  La  Bella  Bianchina!'  and  no 
one  dreamed  of  throwing-  her  father's  evil  career 
in  her  face.  At  the  public  marriage  of  the  Grand 
Duke  and  the  widowed  Bianca  Buonaventuri, 
Pellegrina  was,  of  course,  a  prominent  figure. 
She  had  grown  tall  and  had  inherited  the  charm- 
ing traits  of  her  sweet  mother.  She  was  fourteen 
years  old,  and  eligible  as  the  bride  of  any  accept- 
able suitor.  Her  dowry  was  considerable  ;  equal 
indeed  to  that  of  the  Princess  Eleanora ;  and  the 
Grand  Duke  was  no  less  solicitous  than  the  Grand 
Duchess  about  the  choice  of  a  husband. 

At  first  it  was  hoped  that  a  young  Florentine 
might  be  the  successful  lover,  and  indeed  such 
an  one  appeared  to  have  been  secured,  when 
young  Pietro  Strozzo — the  son  of  Messer  Camillo 

244 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

dl  Matteo  neMi  Strozzi — one  of  Pelleorrina's 
sponsors  at  her  baptism — was  judged  worthy 
of  the  matrimonial  prize.  They  were  accordingly 
betrothed,  but  the  inconstancy  of  Love  was  once 
more  proved,  for  the  young  fellow  was  a  wayward 
youth,  and,  although  only  seventeen,  had  fixed 
his  affections  elsewhere ! 

The  match  was  broken  off,  but  within  a  year 
of  Pietro's  renunciation  another  aspirant  for 
Pellegrina's  hand  and  dowry  appeared  in  the 
person  of  a  distinguished  young  foreigner — 
Conte  Ulisse  Bentivoglio  de'  Magioli  da  Bologna. 
He  was  reputed  to  be  the  natural  son  of  Signore 
Alessandro  d'Ercole  Bentivoglio,  and  had  been 
adopted  by  his  maternal  uncle,  Conte  Giorgio  de' 
Magioli.  His  mother's  name  was  Isotta — a 
beautiful  girl  at  the  Court  of  the  Lords  of 
Bologna,  who  had  romantic  relations  with  both 
Signore  Alessandro  and  Conte  Giorgio.  Which 
of  the  two  was  Conte  Ulisse's  father  mattered 
far  less,  from  a  matrimonial  point  of  view,  than 
the  fact  that  the  prospective  bridegroom  was 
unusually  wealthy  and  well-placed. 

Conte  Ulisse,  twenty  years  of  age,  went  to 
Florence  along  with  the  Bologna  deputation  to 
greet  Grand  Duke  Francesco  upon  his  marriage 
with  Bianca  Buonaventuri.  Then  it  was  that 
he  first  saw  Pellegrina,  and  was  accepted  as  her 
betrothed  husband.  He  remained  in  Florence  a 
considerable  time,  and  took  a  leading  part  in  the 
splendid     festivities    and     the     notable    giostre, 

245 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

wherein  he  was  hailed  as  a  champion  in  the 
"Lists." 

The  marriage  was  celebrated  three  months 
after  the  Grand  Ducal  wedding,  and,  amid  the 
tears  of  her  mother,  Pellegrina  departed  with 
her  husband  for  Bologna.  Everything  went  well 
for  a  time  with  the  youthful  Count  and  Countess. 
Grand  Duchess  Bianca  paid  them  several  visits, 
and  Countess  Pellegrina  spent  much  time  in 
Florence.  For  example,  she  took  part  in  the 
marriage  ceremonies  of  Virginia  de'  Medici,  un- 
happy Signora  Cammilla's  child,  in  1586,  with 
Don  Cesare  d'Este.  The  year  after  her  corona- 
tion the  Grand  Duchess  went  in  state  to  Bologna, 
to  assist  at  the  accouchement  of  her  daughter. 
A  little  son  made  his  appearance,  and  as  though 
to  fix  the  real  parentage  of  the  Count,  he  was 
baptised  Giorgio. 

Two  more  sons  came  to  seal  the  happiness  of 
the  young  couple — Alessandro  and  Francesco — 
and  two  daughters — Bianca  and  Vittoria — and 
then  the  happy  relations  between  the  Count  and 
Countess  underwent  a  change,  and  her  husband's 
love  ceased  to  peep  into  Pellegrina's  heart.  The 
Count  was  much  occupied  with  military  matters, 
like  most  young  nobles  of  his  age ;  he  also 
undertook  diplomatic  duties,  and  was  sent,  in 
1585,  as  the  special  ambassador  of  Bologna,  to 
congratulate  Pope  Sixtus  V.  upon  his  elevation 
to  the  Pontifical  throne. 

At  the   Roman  Court  he  met   Don   Piero  de' 

246 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Medici — the  Florentine  envoy — and,  through  him, 
got  into  evil  company.  He  returned  to  Bologna 
unsettled  in  his  feelings,  and  looking  for  excitement 
and  illicit  intercourse.  His  passion  for  Pellegrina 
was  passing  away,  and  he  sought  not  her  couch 
but  the  company  of  a  lovely  girl  of  Bologna  who 
had  fascinated  him. 

By  degrees  his  love  for  his  sweet  wife  grew 
cold,  and  at  length  he  had  the  effrontery  to 
establish  his  innamorata  in  his  own  mansion. 
Pellegrina  protested  in  vain,  but  the  more  she 
admonished  her  husband  the  more  flagrant  be- 
came the  liaison.  Cast  off  and  even  spurned  in 
her  own  house,  the  poor  young  Countess  longed 
for  her  dear,  dead  mother's  presence.  She  had 
now  no  one  to  counsel  and  comfort  her.  Left 
pretty  much  to  herself,  she  yearned  for  com- 
panionship and  love.  She  was  only  twenty-four, 
and  still  as  attractive  as  could  be. 

What  she  sought  came  at  last,  when  young 
Antonio  Riari  took  up  his  residence  at  Bologna 
as  a  student-in-law.  He  was  the  great-grand- 
nephew  of  the  infamous  creature  of  reprobate 
Pope  Sixtus  IV. — Count  Girolamo  de'  Riari — of 
the  Pazzi  Conspiracy  a  hundred  years  before. 
Good-looking,  gay,  amorous,  and  blessed  with 
robust  health  and  ample  means,  the  young  man 
was  the  lover  of  every  pretty  girl. 

Attracted  mutually  to  one  another,  the  Countess 
Pellegrina  yielded  herself  to  her  admirer's  em- 
braces—  although    Antonio  was    a    mere   lad    of 

247 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

seventeen.  The  intimacy  grew  until  news  of  it 
reached  Count  Ulisse's  ears  in  the  boudoir  of  his 
sweetheart !  The  gossip  doubtless  was  garnished 
to  the  taste  of  the  retailers  and  of  the  receiver. 

The  Count  turned  upon  his  wife — as  he  might 
have  been  expected  to  do,  seeing  that  he  had 
habitually  been  unfaithful,  and  taxed  her  with 
unfaithfulness !  Innocently  enough,  Pellegrina 
told  him  exactly  how  matters  stood,  craved  his 
forgiveness,  and  begged  for  the  restitution  of 
marital  rights.  Conscious  of  his  own  turpitude 
and  irregularity  of  life,  he  met  her  protestations 
with  scorn,  and,  seeing  in  the  episode  an  oppor- 
tunity of  legalising  his  illicit  lusts,  he  denounced 
her  publicly  and  set  spies  to  report  her  conduct. 

These  mercenaries,  knowing  the  mind  of  their 
master,  did  not  hesitate  to  translate  his  words 
into  deeds ;  and  very  soon  they  were  able  to 
realise  their  dastardly  purpose.  Although  the 
Countess  had  warned  young  Riario  of  the  danger 
which  menaced  them  both,  and  was,  for  a  time, 
more  circumspect  in  her  intercourse  with  her 
lover,  the  fascination  of  mutual  passion  overbore 
the  dictates  of  prudence. 

Like  a  "  bolt  from  the  blue  "  fell  the  blow— or 
blows — which,  if  not  delivered  by  Count  Ulisse  in 
person,  were  his  de  jure.  Two  paid  assassins 
chanced  upon  the  loving  couple  one  day,  clasped 
in  each  other's  arms,  in  a  summer-house  in  a 
remote  part  of  the  Bentivoglio  gardens  ! 

Swift  and  certain  was  the  aim  !  Pelleofrina 
248 


PELLEGRINA. 
Daughter  of  Pietro  and  Bianca  Buonaventuri. 
"Wife  of  Count  Ulisse  Bentivoglio. 

I'iiinter  L'likiunvii. 


L'FFIZl    GAI,LHKV,    FLORENXi; 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

and  Antonio  were  discovered,  late  at  night,  each 
stabbed  through  the  back,  and  strangled  with 
cords — dead — with  eyes  of  horror  gazing  wildly  at 
the  pale  moon !  No  shrift  had  they,  but  bitter 
tears  were  shed  by  tender  sympathisers,  and 
accusing  fingers  were  pointed  at  the  Count. 

What  cared  he!  He  merely  shrugged  his 
shoulders  and  sardonically  hinted  that  as  he  had 
brought  his  wife  from  Florence — from  Florence, 
too,  had  he  learned  how  to  take  personal 
vengeance  upon  a  faithless  spouse  and  her 
accomplice!  The  dark  deed  was  done  on  21st 
September  1589,  and  Count  Ulisse  lived  on  with 
his  evil  conscience  and  his  new  wife  till  16 18, 
when  he,  too,  fell  in  Bologna  by  an  assassin's 
blade — just  retribution  for  the  foul  murder  of 
lovely  Pellegrina  Buonaventuri. 


249 


CHAPTER   VI 

Eleanora  degli  Albizzi 
Sforza  Almeni 
Cammilla  de'  Martelli 

Pathetic    Victims  of  Fateful  Passion 

'' Di  fare  il  piacere  di  Cosimo'' — To  serve  for 
Cosimo's  pleasure!  In  such  words,  an  immoral 
father  condemned  his  lovely  daughter  to  feed 
the  unholy  lust  of  the  "Tyrant  of  Florence" — 
Moloch  was  never  better  served. 

Eleanora  and  Cammilla,  cousins  after  the 
flesh,  were  each  dedicated  as  a  cosa  di  Cosinio — 
the  property  of  Cosimo.  If  he  did  not  murder 
their  bodies,  he  slew  their  souls — that  was  the 
manner  of  the  man,  the  fashion  of  his  time. 

Romantic  attachments,  full  of  thrilling  pathos, 
ran  then  like  golden  threads  through  the  vulgar 
woof  and  web  of  woe  and  death.  Someone  has 
said  that  "Love  and  murder  are  next  of  kin"; 
true,  indeed,  was  this  what  time  Eleanora  and 
Cammilla  were  fresh  young  girls  in  Florence, 
They  were  each  made  for  love,  and  love  they 
had  ;  but  that  love  was  the  embrace  of  a  living 
death,    selfish,     cruel,     and     damning.        Better, 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

perhaps,  had  they  died  right  out  by  sword  or 
poison  than  suffer,  as  they  did,  the  extremity  of 
pathos — the  shame  of  ilHcit  love  ! 

The  tragedy  of  Eleanora  degH  Albizzi  was, 
perhaps,  the  most  callous  and  the  most  pathetic 
of  all  those  lurid  domestic  vicissitudes  which 
traced  their  source  to  the  "  Tyrant  of  Florence," 
Cosimo  I.,  Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany, 

She  was  not  the  only  Eleanora  whose  name 
as,  alas,  we  know,  spelled  misfortune.  Eleanora 
de  Toledo  of  the  broken  heart,  and  Eleanora  de 
Garzia  de  Toledo  of  the  bleeding  heart,  awaited 
in  Paradise  Eleanora  degli  Albizzi  of  the  heart 
of  desertion. 

''Albizzi  0  Medici?''  had  once  and  again 
divided  the  power  of  Florence,  but  in  the  course 
of  high  play  in  the  game  of  politics  the  latter 
held  the  better  hands,  drew  more  trumps,  and 
gained  rubber  after  rubber.  But  what  a  splendid 
record  the  Albizzi  had !  When  the  Medici  were 
only  tentatively  placing  their  feet  upon  the  ladder 
of  fame,  Orlando,  Filippo,  Piero,  Luca,  and 
Maso — to  name  a  few  only  of  those  leaders  of 
men  and  women — had  scored  the  name  Albizzi 
as  Anziani,  Priori,  Gonfalonieriy  and  Capitani 
di  Parte  Guelfa. 

In  fact  that  aristocratic  family  dominated 
Florence  and  the  Florentines  until  Salvestro, 
Giovanni,  and  Cosimo,  of  the  democratic  Medici, 
disputed   place    and    power,    and    built  up   their 

251 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

fortunes  upon  the  ruins  of  their  rivals'  faults  and 
favours. 

Eleanora  was  the  dauo^hter  of  Messer  Luiofi 
di  Messer  Maso  degli  Albizzi.  This  Messer 
Maso,  a  hundred  years  before,  had  not  seen  eye 
to  eye  with  his  masterful  brother — the  autocratic 
Rinaldo,  but,  notinc^  the  trend  of  political  affairs, 
had,  truth  to  tell,  turned  traitor  to  the  traditions 
of  his  family,  and  had  thrown  in  his  lot  with  the 
rising  house  of  Medici. 

Messer  Luigi  was  not  a  rich  man,  but  in  fairly 
comfortable  circumstances,  and  slowly  retrieving 
the  shattered  fortunes  of  his  ancestors.  His 
mansion  was  in  the  fashionable  Bor^^o  deMi 
Albizzi,  and  he  owned  other  town  property  and 
some  farms  in  the  contado.  He  held,  too,  several 
public  offices,  and  was  an  aspirant  to  a  Podesta- 
ship,  as  a  stepping-stone  to  that  most  coveted  of 
all  State  appointments,  the  rank  of  ambassador. 

In  some  way  or  another  he  gained  the  favour- 
able notice  of  Duke  Cosimo,  and  seems  to  have 
rendered  him  some  acceptable  service :  at  all 
events,  he  found  himself  at  home  in  the  entourage 
of  the  Sovereign.  By  his  second  wife.  Madonna 
Nannina.  daughter  of  Messer  Niccolo  de' 
Soderini — a  lineal  descendant  of  the  self-seeking 
and  notorious  adviser  of  Don  Piero  de'  Medici — 
he  had  two  daughters,  Constanza  and  Eleanora, 
named  after  her  godmother,  the  Duchess 
Eleanora. 

Constanza  was  married  to  Antonio  de'  Ridolfi, 
252 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

the  same  year  that  the  poor  broken-hearted 
Duchess  sobbed  herself  to  death  at  Pisa  after  the 
terrible  tragedies  of  1557  and  1562,  and  Messer 
Luigi  was  left  with  Eleanora,  the  pride  of  her 
father's  heart,  the  joy  of  his  home.  As  beautiful 
as  any  girl  in  Florence,  she  was  just  sixteen, 
highly  accomplished,  full  of  spirits,  and  endowed 
with  some  of  that  pride  and  haughty  bearing 
which  had  distinguished  her  forbears.  She  had, 
in  short,  all  the  makings  of  a  successful  woman  of 
the  world. 

Admitted  to  intimacy  and  companionship  with 
the  children  of  the  Duke,  he  had  noted  the  grace- 
ful development  of  the  bright  young  girl's  physical 
and  mental  charms  ;  and  he  had  given  evidence 
of  his  interest  in  her  by  many  pleasant  courtesies, 
both  to  herself  and  to  her  parents. 

Messer  Luigi  soon  observed  the  partiality  of 
his  Sovereign  for  his  fascinating  young  daughter, 
and  being  a  man  anxious,  after  the  manner  of  a 
true  Florentine,  even  in  those  degenerate  days,  to 
better  himself  and  his  family,  he  saw  that  some- 
thing more  than  mere  romance  could  be  made  out 
of  the  situation.  The  commercial  assets  of  his 
daughter's  person  loomed  large  in  his  estimation, 
for  if  the  Duke  took  a  serious  fancy  to  Eleanora, 
it  was  conceivable  that  she  might  one  day  become 
his  consort ! 

When  the  girl  told  her  father  of  the  Duke's 
kindness  to  her,  and  of  his  embraces  and  tender 

words,  he  counselled  her  not  to  repel  her  admirer, 

253 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

for  what  he  meant  was  all  for  her  c^ood  and  for 
the  distinction  of  her  family.  The  /iaison  went 
on  unrebuked,  encouraged  by  Cosimo's  promises 
and  Luigi's  hopes.  Nannina's  tears  of  apprehen- 
sion were  brushed  aside  by  Eleanora's  kisses. 

Very  tactfully  Messer  Luigi  let  the  Duke 
know  that  his  attentions  were  acceptable,  and 
that  he  and  his  good  wife  were  vastly  honoured 
by  his  condescension  to  their  daughter.  In  view 
of  favours  to  come,  he  plainly  intimated  that 
Eleanora  was  quite  at  his  disposal,  or,  as  he  put 
it,  quite  courtier-like,  di  fare  il piacere  di  Cosimo  ! 

The  Duke  needed  no  encouragement  as  the 
universal  lover  and  ravisher  of  the  most  comely 
maidens  in  Florence.  He  was  only  too  pleased 
to  carry  off  this  charming  young  druda  to  his 
villa  at  Castello,  and  Eleanora  was  nothino-  loth 
to  go — the  prospect  of  a  throne  has  always  been 
an  irresistible  attraction  to  women  in  all  ages ! 

Cosimo's  sons  were  well  aware,  as  indeed, 
was  the  whole  Court  and  the  city  too,  of  their 
father's  love  affairs.  The  Duke  and  the  Prince- 
Regent  Francesco  were  mutually  suspicious,  and 
fawning,  faithless  courtiers  fanned  the  flame  of 
jealousy  and  mistrust  between  them.  The  father 
threw  Bianca  Cappello  into  his  son's  face,  and  he, 
in  exchange,  flung  back  Eleanora  degli  Albizzi ! 
At  length,  Cosimo  desisted  from  the  acrimonious 
warfare,  content  to  let  things  be  as  they  might  be 
at  the  Pitti  Palace  and  Pratolino,  whilst  he  was 
left  in  seclusion  with  his  innamorata  at  Castello. 

254 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Cardinal  Ferdinando,  a  boy  of  fifteen,  lived  in 
Rome,  and  Don  Piero,  only  ten,  was  indifferent 
to  such  matters,  but  Duchess  Isabella  of  Bracciano 
was  intensely  interested,  an  amiable  go-between 
her  father  and  Don  Francesco.  Cosimo  did 
nothing  with  respect  to  removing  the  reproach 
attached  to  his  intrigue  with  Eleanora  degli 
Albizzi,  and,  consequently,  when  in  December 
1566,  a  little  girl  was  born  to  him,  the  whole  of 
Florence  was  conventionally  shocked.  Duchess 
Giovanna,  Don  Francesco's  sanctimonious  Austrian 
wife,  offered  a  vigorous  protest,  and  declined  to 
have  anything  to  do  with  the  unfortunate  young 
mother  and  her  dissolute  old  lover.  Her  feelinp- 
ran  so  strongly,  both  with  respect  to  the  liaison  of 
Cosimo  and  to  her  husband's  intrigue  with  the 
"beautiful  Venetian,"  that  she  made  an  ureent 
appeal  to  her  brother,  the  Emperor  Maximilian 
to  intervene. 

It  was  said  that  the  young  Duchess  sent  a 
copy  of  her  letter  to  Duke  Cosimo,  who  was 
furious  at  her  conduct.  He  asked  her  by  what 
right  she  had  dared  to  stir  up  ill-will  at  the 
Imperial  court,  and  advised  her  to  mind  her  own 
business  in  the  future.  To  the  Emperor  Cosimo, 
addressed  a  dignified  reply  to  the  Imperial 
censure:  *' I  do  not  seek  for  quarrels,"  he  said, 
"  but  I  shall  not  avoid  them  if  they  are  put  in  my 
way  by  members  of  my  own  family." 

What  Messer  Luigi  and  Madonna  Nannina 
degli  Albizzi  thought  and  said,  no  one  has  related. 

255 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

They  could  not  say  much  by  way  of  complaint, 
for  they  had  foreseen,  from  the  beginning  of  the 
Duke's  intimacy  with  Eleanora,  that  an  "acci- 
dent," as  they  euphemistically  called  it,  was  to  be 
expected.  They  had,  in  fact,  sold  their  child  to 
her  seducer,  and  must  be  content  with  their 
bargain ! 

Cosimo,  for  his  part,  was  delighted  with  his 
dear  little  daughter,  come  to  cheer  the  autumn  of 
his  life.  He  loaded  Eleanora  with  presents, 
watched  by  her  bedside  assiduously,  and  told  her 
joyfully  that  he  meant  to  marry  her  and  so  legiti- 
matise  their  little  child.  Born  at  Messer  Luigi's, 
the  baby  girl  was  anxiously  watched  lest  emissaries 
from  the  Pitti  Palace  should  try  to  get  hold  of 
her. 

The  Duke  made  indeed  no  secret  of  his 
pleasure,  and  moreover  consulted  with  his  most 
trusted  personal  attendant,  Sforza  Almeni,  how 
the  legitimatisation  could  be  best  effected,  so  as 
to  secure  for  the  little  lady  a  goodly  share  in  the 
Ducal  patrimony,  and  also  a  pension  in  perpetuity 
for  the  mother,  Eleanora. 

This  Sforza  Almeni,  when  quite  a  youth,  had 
been  attached  to  the  household  of  Duke  Ales- 
sandro.  He  was  the  son  of  Messer  Vincenzio 
Almeni,  a  gentleman  of  Perugia,  and,  when  the 
Duke  was  assassinated  by  Lorenzino  de'  Medici, 
he  performed  the  first  charitable  offices  of 
the  dead  upon  the  bleeding  body.  Moreover, 
young  Almeni's  father  was  a  faithful  friend  and 

256 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

confidant  of  Madonna  Maria  de'  Salviati,  the 
mother  of  Cosimo.  In  consequence  of  the 
devotion  of  both  father  and  son,  Sforza  was  taken 
into  the  household  of  the  new  Duke  and  eventually 
became  his  private  secretary. 

With  Duchess  Eleanora,  Sforza  became  a 
great  favourite,  for  he  was  most  sympathetic  and 
helpful  in  her  schemes  for  the  advancement  and 
protection  of  her  Spanish  proteges.  Both  Cosimo 
and  his  consort  bestowed  many  benefactions 
upon  their  faithful  servitor.  Among  them  was  a 
monopoly  in  the  supply  of  fish  from  Perugia  to 
Florence,  a  privilege  which  put,  upon  the  average, 
a  good  six  hundred  gold  florins  per  annum  into 
Messer  Sforza's  pocket ! 

The  Duke  also  conferred  upon  his  fortunate 
and  trusty  counsellor  valuable  property  in  the 
parish  of  San  Piero  a  Quintole,  a  farm  and  build- 
ings at  Fiesole,  and  lastly,  in  1565,  a  very 
fertile  estate  at  Peccioli,  originally  the  property  of 
Piero  de'  Salviati. 

Had  Messer  Sforza  Almeni  only  been  content 
with  these  opulent  benefactions,  all  might  have 
gone  well  with  him  ;  but,  alas,  human  ambition 
and  the  interests  of  self  lead  good  men  often 
enough  astray,  and  the  Duke's  private  secretary 
began  to  look  for  favours  at  the  hands  of  the  heir 
to  the  Ducal  throne,  the  Prince- Regent  Francesco. 
In  short,  he  attempted  to  serve  two  masters. 

With  a  view  to  obtain  the  s^ood  grraces  of  Don 
Francesco,  Almeni  began  a  system  of  betraying 
R  257 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

confidences  of  a  strictly  private  and  familiar 
character.  Blessed  with  the  spirit  of  flattery,  like 
all  consummate  courtiers,  he  conceived  it  to  be  a 
stroke  of  excellent  personal  policy  to  purvey  for 
his  Highness'  appreciation  or  the  reverse,  his 
father's  intimate  concerns. 

He  repeated  the  conversation  the  old  Duke 
and  he  had  held  about  Eleanora  degli  Albizzi  and 
her  child,  and  advised  the  Prince,  for  his  own 
advantage,  to  inform  his  father  that  any  steps  he 
might  take  to  advance  his  innainorata  or  their 
bastard,  would  be  resented  by  him  as  Regent  of 
the  Duchy.  Apparently  Almeni  did  not  regard 
the  young  mother  with  lenient  eyes,  but  viewed 
her  ascendency  over  the  infatuated  Duke  with 
disfavour,  as  offering  rivalry  to  his  own  position. 

Francesco,  smarting  under  his  father's  strictures 
in  respect  to  his  amours  with  Bianca  Buonaventuri, 
and  resenting  his  constant  interference  in  his 
private  affairs  no  less  than  in  his  public  duties,  was 
only  too  ready  to  give  ear  to  any  scandal  which 
he  might  turn  to  good  account.  At  first  he  kept 
his  own  counsel,  but  one  day,  being  unusually 
exasperated  with  words  of  reproach  uttered  by  his 
father,  Francesco  proclaimed  his  displeasure  at, 
and  opposition  to,  the  views  of  the  Duke  with 
respect  to  Eleanora  degli  Albizzi. 

Cosimo  knew  at  once  how  his  secret  had  been 
exposed,  and  by  whom.  He  managed  to  control 
his  passion,  but  indignantly  retorted  that  there 
was  a  son's  duty  to  a  father  which  should  have 

258 


COSIMO    DE'    MEDICI. 

First  Grand  Duke  ol  Tuscany.    "Tyrant  oi  Tyrants." 

Giacopo  Pontormo. 

UFFIZI    GALLERY,    FLORENCE. 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

taua"ht     Francesco     to     disbelieve     unfavourable 
rumours.      He  returned  at  once  to  Castello. 

Sforza  Almeni,  of  course,  entirely  ignorant 
that  Prince  Francesco  had  unwittingly  betrayed 
him,  presented  himself  as  usual  before  the  Duke  to 
learn  his  pleasure.  Cosimo  addressed  him  sternly  : 
"  Almeni,  you  have  betrayed  my  confidence. 
You,  who  of  all  men  I  trusted  implicitly !  Go,  get 
out  of  my  sight.  Go  at  once  anywhere  you  will 
— only  go — never  let  me  see  your  face  again  !  " 

Almeni,  dumfounded,  set  off  at  once  for 
Florence.  He  knew  too  well  Cosimo's  temper  to 
bandy  words,  and  sought  interviews  with  Prince 
Francesco  and  the  Duchess  Isabella.  With 
their  knowledge  he  remained  in  the  city,  perhaps 
faintly  hoping  the  Duke  might  relent  and  send  for 
him  back.  A  few  days  later  Cosimo  went  into 
Florence,  and  passing  through  an  ante-chamber  at 
the  Pitti  Palace,  he  was  astounded  to  see  Almeni 
calmly  standing  in  the  recess  of  a  window. 

No  one  else  was  in  the  room,  and,  as  Almeni 
saluted  his  master  and  proceeded  to  make  an 
appeal  for  mercy,  Cosimo  became  infuriated  at 
his  disobedience  and  impertinence,  and,  reaching 
up  to  a  hunting-trophy  on  the  wall,  he  seized  a 
stout  boar-spear,  and  cried  out  in  a  loud  voice 
— "  Traitor,  base  traitor,  thou  art  not  fit  to  live, 
thou  hast  slandered  thy  master  and  fouled  thy 
nest !     Die  !  " 

With  a  sudden  thrust  he  struck  the  affrighted 
Almeni  to  the  heart.     It  was  a  fatal  wound,  for, 

259 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

with  a  shriek  of  agony,  the  unhappy  man  fell  at  his 
master's  feet,  the  shaft  of  the  weapon  still  fast  in  his 
wound.  The  day  was  Wednesday,  22  nd  May  1 566, 
the  Eve  of  the  Annunciation.  The  corpse  lay  there 
for  several  hours,  and  no  questions  were  asked 
as  to  how  and  by  whom  Almeni  had  been  done 
to  death.  At  nightfall  the  Misericordia  brethren 
wound  him  to  his  burial  in  the  secret  vaults  of  the 
dismantled  church  of  San  Piero  Scheraggio. 

In  less  than  a  month  after  the  murder  of 
Sforza  Almeni,  Cosimo's  dearly-loved  little 
daughter  died  in  sudden  convulsions,  due,  it 
was  reported,  to  the  administration  of  poison. 
Eleanora  was  inconsolable,  and  the  Duke  did  all 
he  could  to  comfort  her.  He  organised  fetes  and 
hunting-parties  for  her,  and  both  at  Castello  and, 
even  in  Florence,  he  drove  with  her  quite  openly, 
treatinof  her  as  his  lawful  wife. 

Early  in  the  following  year  Eleanora  was 
once  more  enceinte  and,  on  13th  May,  she 
became  the  mother  of  another  child,  a  boy,  whom 
Cosimo  declared  was  a  true  likeness  of  his  famous 
father,  Giovanni  "delle  Bande  Nere,"  and  con- 
sequently that  name  was  given  him.  The  Duke's 
happiness  knew  no  bounds,  but  the  arrival  of  this 
second  child,  born  out  of  wedlock  and  in  the  face 
of  the  hot  displeasure  of  Duke  Francesco  and 
Duchess  Giovanna,  was  the  disenchantment  of 
Cosimo's    love-dream.       The   liaison    could    not 

continue,  and,  truth  to  tell,  Cosimo  himself  was 

260 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

the  cause  of  its  cessation.  The  lustful  old  man 
had  seen  another  lovely  girl  in  Florence,  and 
Eleanora's  star  became  dimmed  in  the  new 
effulgence ! 

Eleanora's  recovery  and  convalescence  were 
not  this  time  marked  by  the  devotion  of  her 
lover,  he  never  so  much  as  went  near  her, 
although  she  was  at  Castello  all  the  time  and 
Giovanni  was  born  there.  The  disillusionment  of 
them  both  was  as  immediate  as  it  was  dramatic. 
It  was  reported  that  the  Pope  had  written  a 
remonstrance  to  Cosimo,  and  hinted  that  the 
creation  of  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Tuscany,  which 
the  Duke  earnestly  coveted,  was  entirely  out  of 
the  question  until  he  had  put  away  his  mistress, 
and  had  renounced  the  errors  of  his  way. 

It  may  have  been  court  gossip,  but  one  reason 
for  Duke  Cosimo's  drastic  treatment  of  his 
iimamorata,  was  the  intimacy  which  had  sprung 
up  between  Eleanora  and  his  own  precocious  and 
vivacious  son,  Piero.  If  the  father  had  fouled  his 
couch,  he  could  not  allow  his  own  son  access 
thereto  as  well. 

Then  it  was  that  Duke  Cosimo  missed  the 
intelligent  services  of  faithful,  faithless  Sforza 
Almeni — he  would  have  done  the  dirty  work  of 
extricating  his  master  from  his  false  position  as 
well,  or  better,  than  any  one  else.  Eleanora  and 
he  had  from  the  first  been  rivals  for  the  confid- 
ences of  the  Duke,  and  hated  each  other  heartily. 
She  had  good  grounds  doubtless  for  her  contempt 

261 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

and  distrust,  by  reason  of  the  heartless  and  mean 
insinuations  affecting  her  manner  of  life,  which 
the  trusty  private  secretary  poured  into  the 
perhaps  too  ready  ears  of  his  master. 

The  solution,  however,  of  Cosimo's  dilemma 
came  quite  suddenly  from  a  perfectly  unexpected 
quarter — from  the  Pitti  Palace.  Francesco  and 
Giovanna  had  never  ceased  trying  to  detach  the 
old  debauchee  from  his  lascivious  entanglements. 
His  conduct  was  fatal  to  the  reputation  and  the 
authority  of  his  successor. 

On  17th  July  a  party  of  young  men  of  good 
family  riding  out  of  one  of  the  gates  of  the  city, 
encountered  another  like  company.  One  of  the 
former,  Carlo  de'  Panciatichi,  accidentally  cannoned 
against  Jacopo  d'Antonio,  and  the  latter  dis- 
mounted and  demanded  satisfaction  for  the 
presumed  insult.  A  duel  was  promptly  arranged, 
in  which  young  Panciatichi  dealt  his  opponent  a 
fatal  blow  with  his  dag-orer.  D'Antonio  fell  and 
was  carried  to  the  hospital  of  Santa  Maria  Nuova, 
where  he  died  three  days  after. 

By  Duke  Cosimo's  recent  enactment,  such  an 
occurrence  was  counted  as  a  criminal  offence, 
which  required  purgation  by  the  payment  of  a 
heavy  fine,  failure  to  pay  being  punished  by 
sentence  of  death.  The  Otto  di  Guardia  e.  Balia 
met  and  deliberated  the  matter,  and  imposed  a 
fine  of  four  thousand  sfold  lire.  This  sum  Messer 
Bartolommeo  de'  Panciatichi,  Carlo's  father,  was 
unable  to  pay,  and,  in  consequence,  the  lad  was 

262 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

required  to  surrender  himself  for  incarceration  in 
the  dungeons  of  the  Bargello. 

Carlo  de'  Panciatichi  failed  to  report  himself, 
and  his  sentence  bore  the  added  punishment  for 
contempt  of  court.  The  unhappy  father  appealed 
for  mercy,  and,  because  the  law  of  the  Ducal 
Court  was  superior  to  that  of  the  State,  threw 
himself  upon  the  protection  of  Duke  Francesco. 

It  was  woman's  wit  which  now  untied  the 
knot  twisted  about  the  young  man's  throat.  The 
Duchess  Giovanna  has,  by  some,  been  credited 
with  the  origination  of  the  tactful  expedient,  but 
some  say  Bianca  Buonaventuri  was  its  inspiratrix. 
Anyhow,  the  solution  came  in  a  form  agreeable 
to  all  parties  concerned,  namely,  the  full  pardon 
of  the  criminal — on  condition  of  his  immediate 
marriage  with  Eleanora  degli  Albizzi ! 

Carlo  de'  Panciatichi  was  thus  made  the  scape- 
goat for  Duke  Cosimo's  intrigue.  The  sentence 
of  the  Otto  was  quashed  by  the  payment  by  the 
Duke  of  the  heavy  fine  imposed  in  the  first  case  ; 
and  in  response  to  Duke  Francesco's  request,  the 
charge  of  contempt  was  withdrawn.  Neither 
Carlo  nor  Eleanora  were  consulted  in  the  matter, 
but  she  was  laden  with  costly  presents  by  Duke 
Cosimo,  and  ten  thousand  gold  florins  found 
their  way  into  Carlo's  empty  pockets ! 

This  timely  arrangement  was  made  on  20th 
July,  and  Carlo  and  Eleanora  became  man  and 
wife  the  following  month.  Duke  Cosimo  on  the 
same    day  caused    litde    Giovanni    to  be   legiti- 

263 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

matised,  and  he  was  entered  in  the  Register  of 
Baptisms  as  "  Giovanni  de'  Medici,  undoubted 
son  of  Cosimo  I.  Duke  of  Florence  and  Siena." 
An  ample  provision  was  made  for  the  child's 
maintenance  by  the  Duke,  and  Carlo  de'  Pancia- 
tichi  agreed  to  his  being  an  inmate  in  his  house 
along  with  his  mother. 

The  marriage  was  celebrated  privately  in  the 
presence  of  the  two  Dukes,  in  the  chapel  of  the 
Pitti  Palace,  and  the  young  couple  at  once  took 
up  their  residence  at  the  Panciatichi  Palace  in 
the  Via  Larga.  Upon  Carlo  was  conferred  the 
order  of  "  Knight  of  San  Stefano,"  and  Messer 
Bartolommeo,  his  father,  was  enrolled  as  a  senator 
for  life. 

It   would    appear    that    Eleanora   abandoned 

herself  to  her  new  life  with  exemplary  fortitude 

and   resignation.     She   certainly  had   exchanged 

"new  lamps  for  old,"  and  she  made  the  best  of 

an  honourable  marriage,   in  spite  of  the  violent 

and  arrogant  manner  of  her  husband,  whose  fame 

as  a  violent  braggadocio  was  a  safeguard  against 

the  advances  of  young  Piero  de'  Medici.     Three 

years  after   the    marriage   a   child  was  born,  to 

whom  the  name  of  Cosimo  was  given,  a  laconic 

compliment  to  the  old  libertine !     A  second  son 

appeared    in    1571,    Bartolommeo,    but   he   died 

within  a  twelvemonth  of  his  birth,  and  then,  in 

1577,  came  a  third  child  to  the  Panciatichi  mansion, 

another  Bartolommeo,  so  Eleanora  decreed.     This 

boy,  however,  brought  with  him  ineffaceable  trouble, 

264 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

for  Cavaliere  Carlo  refused  to  acknowledge  him, 
and  angrily  pointed  to  Don  Piero  de'  Medici  as 
his  putative  father ! 

Piero  made  light  of  this  charge — he  was  well 
used  to  that  sort  of  thing,  but,  with  rare  effrontery, 
he  held  the  infant  at  the  font,  whilst  Panciatichi 
absented  himself,  and  Eleanora  made  a  tacit 
avowal  of  his  parentage.  The  relations  between 
Carlo  and  his  wife  had  quite  naturally  never  been 
of  the  best,  and  as  gradually  fears  of  death,  upon 
the  scaffold  faded,  or  by  a  retributive  d' Antonio 
hand,  and  he  found  himself  the  untrammelled 
master  of  his  actions,  he  beg"an  to  resent  the 
callousness  of  the  arrangement  with  Duke  Cosimo, 
after  1570,  Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany. 

Eleanora's  intrigue  with  Don  Piero  clenched 
the  matter  of  her  cohabitation  with  her  husband. 
Carlo  refused  her  both  bed  and  board,  and,  in  the 
spring  of  1578,  he  forced  her  into  the  Franciscan 
convent  of  San  Onofrio  da  Foligno — a  favourite 
place  of  sanctuary  for  dishonoured  gentlewomen ! 

Poor,  sinful,  sinned-against  Eleanora,  the 
pathetic  example  of  a  young  and  beautiful  life 
wasted  and  corrupted  by  the  ill-conditioned  lusts 
of  a  profligate  lover  and  his  libertine  son  !  With 
her  freedom  of  action  absolutely  curtailed,  and 
her  complete  isolation  from  her  family,  the  gay 
and  attractive  mistress  of  Castello  and  of  the 
Medici  Palace  at  Pisa,  with  countless  admirers 
and  many  lovers,  was  indeed  an  object  of 
sympathetic    commiseration.       To    be    sure,    the 

265 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Cavaliere  made  ample  provision  for  his  wife's 
maintenance,  appointed  a  small  suite  of  attend- 
ants, and  permitted  her  to  carry  with  her  many 
cherished  bits  of  furniture  and  bric-a-brac.  He 
likewise  committed  to  her  charge  both  her  children, 
and  offered  no  objection  to  occasional  visits  to 
his  mother  of  Don  Giovanni  de'  Medici,  now  a 
growing  boy  of  eleven. 

The  Grand  Duke  Francesco  cordially  approved 
this  arrangement.  With  respect  to  certain  jewels 
and  personal  effects  which  Eleanora  retained,  the 
Grand  Duke  made  an  order  that,  as  they  belonged 
to  Gua7^daroba  of  the  Sovereign,  they  should  be 
deposited,  during  the  period  of  her  residence  in 
the  convent,  in  the  State  Treasury. 

Then  a  thick  veil  was  drawn  over  the  life  of 
Eleanora  di  Cavaliere  Carlo  de'  Panciatichi,  and 
the  gates  of  the  convent  were  closed  upon  her, 
never  to  be  opened  for  her  egress !  Her  beauty 
and  her  talents,  and  the  gaiety  of  her  manner 
were  matured,  cultivated  and  restrained  in 
harmony  with  her  melancholy  surroundings. 
Youth  gave  way  to  middle  age,  and  middle  age 
to  the  crepuscule  of  life,  and  the  seasons  came, 
and  the  seasons  went,  and  one  life  in  that 
sanctuary  seemed  fated  to  go  on  for  ever.  For- 
gotten and  un visited,  Eleanora,  the  dntda  of 
Cosimo  I.,  cast  off  and  spurned  ;  the  innamorata  of 
Piero  de'  Medici,  wronged  and  despised  ;  the  wife 
of  Carlo  de'  Panciatichi,  divorced  and  cloistered, 
lived  on  and  on,  far  beyond  the  scriptural  limit  of 

266 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

threescore  years  and  ten — the  pathetic  victim  of 
a  callous  world. 

In  the  Libri  di  Ricordanze  of  the  convent  is 
a  notice  for  the  year  1634,  which  startles  the 
sympathetic  reader  of  the  tragedy  of  Eleanora 
degli  Albizzi :  "Upon  19th  March  of  this  year 
there  passed  to  a  better  life  the  most  illustrious 
Lady,  Donna  Eleanora  degli  Albizzi  de'  Pancla- 
tichi,  who  had  resided  in  this  monastery  for  fifty- 
six  years,  and  had  reached  the  ninetieth  year  of 
her  age.  She  lived  in  the  odour  of  sanctity  with 
the  devotion  of  a  religious,  and  endowed  the 
monastery  with  a  goodly  bequest."  The  Cosa  di 
Cosimo — per  il piacere  di  Cosimol  as  time-serving, 
unfatherlike  Messer  Luigi  degli  Albizzi  called  the 
immolation  of  his  fair  young  daughter,  had  be- 
come the  Bride  of  Christ ! 

And  what  of  unsympathetic,  violent  Carlo  de' 
Panciatichi }  Well,  he,  too,  got  his  deserts.  The 
very  year  after  he  had  put  away  his  wife,  he  again 
made  himself  liable  to  execution  for  murder.  One 
morning  a  servant  of  his,  Sebastiano  del  Valdarno, 
who  had  not  been  paid  wages  due  to  him, 
ventured  to  remind  his  master  of  the  circum- 
stance. Cavaliere  Carlo,  who  could  never  tolerate 
demands  for  money  with  equanimity,  was  enraged 
by  the  man's  presumption,  and,  seizing  hold  of  a 
heavy  pouch  full  of  bronze  denari,  he  flung  it  at 
the  unlucky  fellow,  saying — "Go  to  hell  and  take 
your  money  with  you  !  " 

The  impact  fractured  the  man's  skull  and  he 
267 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

died  in  hospital !  Again  Panciatichi  was  con- 
demned to  a  heavy  fine,  with  the  capital  sentence 
in  cojilumacia,  by  the  Otto  di  Guardia  e  Balia. 
He  was  conveyed  to  prison,  the  old  S  tine  he, 
until  he  paid  the  fine.  Eleanora,  in  her  convent, 
heard  of  his  punishment,  and  actually  rendered 
him  good  for  evil,  as  a  tender-hearted  and 
suffering  woman  would  quite  naturally  do.  She 
pleaded  with  the  Grand  Duke  Francesco  for  his 
deliverance,  and  joined  her  son,  Don  Giovanni 
de'  Medici,  in  her  appeal. 

Cavaliere  Carlo  de'  Panciatichi  was  not  set 
free  till  November  1581,  when  he  had  fully  paid 
all  the  claims  preferred  against  him  by  the  family 
of  the  man  he  had  slain,  which  included  a 
provision  for  a  certain  contadina.  She  was  a 
superior  domestic  servant  in  the  employment  of 
the  Panciatichi  family,  and  a  personal  attendant 
upon  Eleanora.  Madonna  Ginevra,  she  was 
called,  and  she  had  two  little  girls.  Whether 
these  children  were  the  Cavaliere's,  no  one  has 
related,  but  upon  the  death  of  their  mother  they, 
too,  found  asylum  at  the  convent  of  Sant  Onofrio, 
and  were  tenderly  treated  by  sad  and  lonesome 
Madonna  Eleanora — a  sweet  and  pathetic  action 
indeed ! 

The  Cavaliere  raised  his  head  once  more 
under  the  guilty  rule  of  Grand  Duke  Francesco's 
murderer,  the  unscrupulous  Cardinal  Ferdinando, 
and  by  him  was  appointed  a  Gentleman  of 
Honour  and  a  member  of  the  new  Grand  Ducal 

268 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Council  of  Two- Hundred.  He  died  long  before 
his  doubly-wronged,  unhappy  wife,  Eleanora,  on 
the  27th  February  1620. 

With  Cammilla  de'  Martelli  came  the  end  of 
the  prosperous  reign  and  the  end  of  the  profligate 
life  of  Cosimo  de'  Medici,  last  Duke  of  Florence 
and  first  Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany.  She  was  the 
youngest  of  the  two  daughters,  the  only  children, 
of  Messer  Antonio  di  Domenico  de'  Martelli,  and 
his  wife,  Madonna  Fiammetta,  the  daughter  of 
Messer  Niccolo  de'  Soderini,  a  descendant  of  that 
earlier  Niccolo,  the  self-seeking  and  unscrupulous 
adviser  of  Don  Piero  de'  Medici. 

The  Martelli  traced  their  origin  through  two 
lines  of  ancestry  :  to  the  Picciandoni  of  Pisa  in 
the  thirteenth  century,  and  to  the  Stabbielli  of 
the  Val  di  Sieve  in  the  fourteenth.  They  appear 
to  have  settled  in  the  Via  degli  Spadai,  and  to 
have  "hammered"  among  the  armourers  there, 
so  successfully,  that  their  name  was  given  to  the 
street  in  lieu  of  its  more  ancient  designation. 

Messer  Domenico,  Cammilla's  great-grand- 
father, was  one  of  Savonarola's  keenest  opponents, 
chiefly  in  the  interests  of  the  Medici,  and  the 
great  Cosimo  counted  him  among  his  most  trusty 
friends,  but  he  suffered  for  his  fidelity  by  being 
assassinated  in  1531,  by  one  Paolo  del  Nero. 
Another  relative  of  Cammilla  died  tragically, 
Lodovico,  who  was  killed  by  Giovanni  Bandini 
in  a  duel  at  Poggio  Baroncelli  in   1530 — a  duel 

269 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

fought  for  the  hand  and  heart  of  the  beauteous 
Marietta  de'  Ricci,  a  relative  of  that  other  fateful 
flirt,  Cassandra,  who  was  the  cause  of  Pietro 
Buonaventuri's  tragic  death,  and  died  by  the 
knives  of  assassins. 

The  Martelli  were  associated  with  many  of 
the  pious  works  of  the  Medici :  for  example,  they 
assisted  munificently  in  the  building  and  endow- 
ment of  the  great  church  of  San  Lorenzo.  In 
some  way  or  other  Messer  Antonio  had  lit  on 
evil  days,  at  all  events  he  appears  to  have  lost 
the  banking  business,  which  had  been  mainly 
operative  in  the  raising  of  his  house,  and  had 
reverted  to  the  less  lucrative  but  still  honourable 
occupation  of  his  family — the  craft  of  sword-mak- 
ing. He  carried  on  his  business  in  a  house  which 
he  rented  under  the  shadow  of  the  Palazzo  Pitti. 

Both  Cammilla  and  her  elder  sister  Maria 
were  good-looking  girls.  The  latter,  in  1566, 
married  a  wealthy  shoemaker  from  Siena,  Gaspare 
Chinucci,  but  her  husband  divorced  her ;  and 
then  Duke  Cosimo  caused  her  father  to  marry 
her,  in  1572,  to  an  opulent  foreign  merchant — 
Messer  Baldassarre  Suarez,  who  had  come  over 
from  Spain  and  was  a  prot^g^  of  the  Duchess 
Eleanora. 

Cammilla,    born    in    1547,    possessed   all    the 

personal    attractiveness  which    distinguished   her 

mother,  whose  sister,  Nannina,  the  wife  of  Messer 

Luigi  degli  Albizzi,  was  mother  of  Eleanora,  Duke 

Cosimo's  druda. 

270 


CAMMILLA    DE'    MEDICI. 
Second  Wife  of  Cosimo  I. 

From  an  engraving  by  Filippo  Morgeno,  1761. 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

"  Tall  and  of  a  good  figure,  fair  complexion, 
with  light  hair,  and  a  pair  of  dark  eyes  like  two 
brilliant  stars,  she  was  also  most  graceful  in  her 
carriage  and  manner,  full  of  intelligence  in  con- 
versation, and  quite  naturally  fond  of  admiration 
and  amours."  This  is  a  contemporary  word- 
picture  of  the  physical  and  mental  charms  of  one 
of  the  most  lovely  girls  that  ever  tripped  merrily 
along  the  Lung'  Arno  Acciaiuoli — in  the  footsteps 
of  Beatrice  de'  Portinari. 

That  promenade  of  Prince  Cupid  was  always 
thronged  by  the  belles  and  beaux  of  Florentine 
society.  There  the  young  men,  and  old  men  too, 
could  meet  and  salute  their  innaniorate.  Duke 
Cosimo  had  not  observed  for  nothing  the  daily 
walk  of  his  fascinating  young  neighbour,  he  never 
overlooked  a  pretty  face  and  comely  figure,  and  his 
heart  was  large  enough  to  entertain  the  loves  of 
many  women!  His  experience  was  very  much 
like  that  of  Dante  Alighieri,  who  one  day  saw 
his    Beatrice    '*  in    quite   a    new    and    entrancing 

light." 

It  was  in  May,  in  1564,  when  all  was  gay  and 
fresh  in  Florence,  that  Duke  Cosimo  chanced 
upon  Cammilla  de'  Martelli,  as  he  passed  on  his 
way  from  the  Pitti  Palace  to  Castello,  to  dawdle 
with  the  lovely  Eleanora  degli  Albizzi,  her  cousin. 
Something  prompted  the  Duke  to  accost  the 
maiden, — her  blush  and  his  own  tremor  revealed 
delightful  possibilities  quite  in  his  way !  Very 
warily    he    approached    Messer    Antonio.      His 

271 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

idea  was  probably  to  keep  Eleanora  at  the 
Villa  del  Castello,  and  to  take  Cammilla 
away  to  his  favourite  residence,  the  Palace 
at  Pisa. 

If  Don  Francesco  and  Duchess  Giovanna 
were  aggrieved  by  the  intrigue  already  going  on, 
it  was  conceivable  that  the  trouble  would  be 
greatly  intensified  by  a  second.  Cosimo  did  not 
wish  their  increased  displeasure  nor  publicity,  so, 
for  a  while,  he  kept  his  hopes  and  his  intentions 
to  himself  At  last,  inflamed  more  and  more  by 
the  fresh,  unsullied  beauty  of  Cammilla,  he 
broached  his  proposition  to  Messer  Antonio. 
Greatly  in  need  of  money,  and  hoping  much  from 
court  patronage,  the  unnatural  father  determined 
to  follow  the  example  of  his  brother-in-law,  and 
surrender,  for  a  worthy  consideration,  his  child 
as  a  "  Cosa  di  Cosimo  il  Duca.'' 

The  cast-off  Eleanora  was  married,  as  we 
have  read,  to  Cavaliere  Carlo  de'  Panciatichi  in 
September  1567,  and  on  28th  May — eight  months 
after — Cammilla  de'  Martelli  gave  birth,  at  Pisa, 
to  a  dear  little  girl,  the  latest  child  of  Duke 
Cosimo !  This  was  by  no  means  to  the  mind 
of  Duke  Francesco,  and  news  of  the  birth  quickly 
reached  the  ears  of  the  Pope.  His  Holiness  at 
once  despatched  a  courier  to  Duke  Cosimo,  urging 
him  to  Icgitimatise  the  child  by  his  immediate 
marriage  with  the  mother. 

This  was  not  at  all  what  the  Duke  wanted  ;  he 
preferred,  of  course,  to  be  quite  free  to  love  any 

272 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

girl  or  woman  that  he  might  single  out.  Never- 
theless the  pressure  was  so  great  that  he  was 
compelled  to  yield;  and,  in  January  1569,  he 
took  Cammilla  to  be  his  wedded  wife,  but  not  to 
share  his  Ducal  title !  That  was  forbidden  by 
the  emphatic  opposition  of  the  acting  Duke  and 
Duchess,  and  by  the  direct  intervention  of  the 
Emperor  Maximilian, 

Messer  Antonio  de'  Martelli  was  in  ecstasies, 
and  his  unconcealed  delieht  grained  for  him  the 
nickname  "//  Balencio,''  "like  Whalebone"! 
It  is  said  that  when  his  wife's  kinsman,  Alamanno 
de'  Pazzi,  ventured  to  congratulate  him  at  his 
house  in  the  Via  Maggio,  he  found  the  place  gaily 
decorated,  and  musicians  playing  before  the  door ! 

"What  is  this  brave  show  for,  Messer 
Antonio  ?  "   he  asked. 

"Why,  Ser  Alamanno,  I  have  married  my 
daughter  to  the  Duke  Cosimo.  Rejoice  with  me 
to-day.  We  have  now  no  relations  but  Emperors 
and  Princes,  what  would  you !  " 

Cosimo  created  his  wife's  father  a  Knight  of 
the  Order  of  San  Stefano  and  endowed  him  with 
a  good  annual  income.  At  the  same  time  he 
advanced  Madonna  Maria  di  Baldassarre  Suarez 
to  the  rank  of  a  Gentlewoman  of  the  Court, 
and  caused  unhappy  Gasparre  Ghiunucci  to  be 
banished  out  of  Tuscany ;  some  indeed  say  that 
he  even  instigated  his  assassination !  Messer 
Suarez  was  promoted  to  an  honourable  place  at 
Court,  and  his  name  was  changed  to  Martelli. 
s  273 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

Two  sons  and  a  daughter  blessed  his  union  with 
Madonna  Maria.  Violante,  as  the  girl  was 
christened,  grew  up,  as  beautiful  as  her  aunt 
Cammilla,  with  a  pair  of  eyes  like  hers,  and 
nothing  could  restrain  the  passion  of  that  young 
libertine,  Don  Piero  de'  Medici,  for  love  of  her 
— he  was  indeed  his  father's  son ! 

Nevertheless  she  was  not  to  be  his  innamorata 
alone,  for  Cardinal  Ferdinando  also  "came  and 
saw  and  conquered,"  and  young  Violante  became 
his  chief  mistress  in  Florence — the  rival  in  his 
affections  of  his  father's  fascinating  young  wife, 
her  aunt  Cammilla. 

In  1570,  Cosimo  went  in  State  to  Rome  to 
be  crowned  by  the  Pope  as  first  Grand  Duke 
of  Tuscany.  From  his  Holiness  he  obtained  a 
reversion  of  the  title  in  perpetuity  for  his  de- 
scendants. The  Easter  of  that  year  he  spent  at 
the  Pitti  Palace,  and  then  he  hurried  off  to 
Castello  to  pass  the  rest  of  his  days  with  his 
dearly-loved  and  charming  young  wife. 

Once  there,  he  dismissed  almost  all  the 
members  of  his  suite,  retaining  only  two 
secretaries,  a  chaplain  (!)  and  two  couriers,  wish- 
ing to  lead  the  quiet  life  of  a  country  gentleman. 
He  apportioned  to  his  wife  Cammilla  four  gentle- 
women as  maids  of  honour.  Henceforward 
neither  Cosimo  nor  Cammilla  were  seen  but 
rarely  in  Florence.  They  spent  their  time 
together  either  at  Castello,  at  Poggio  a  Caiano, 
or  in  Pisa. 

274 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

December  and  May  had  been  mated — the 
former  had  his  consolations,  but  the  latter  pined 
quite  naturally  for  young  society.  Love  is  cold 
and  love  is  captious  where  age  and  temperament 
disagree.  Cammilla  sighed  for  the  gaieties,  the 
pleasures,  and  gallantries  of  Florence.  Love's 
young  dream  had  not  been  hers,  she  had  not 
chosen  her  ancient  lover.  But  admiration  for 
her  sprang  from  a  likely  though  an  unexpected 
quarter,  and  her  cavalier  was  not  warned  off  by 
a  jealous  husband,  as  was  poor  Eleanora  degli 
Albizzi's. 

The  Grand  Duke  Cosimo,  to  the  very  last, 
kept  up  the  appearance  of  religion,  if  not  its 
realities.  The  fact  that  a  son  of  his  was  a 
member  of  the  Sacred  College,  and  a  possible 
occupant  of  the  chair  of  St  Peter,  covered  a 
multitude  of  sins ;  not  that  Cardinal  Ferdin- 
ando  was  a  mirror  of  virtue  or  an  example  of 
sanctity. 

Ferdinando's  relations  with  Francesco  and 
Bianca  were  as  bad  as  could  be.  His  arrogance 
and  extortions  rendered  his  presence  at  the 
Florentine  court  unwelcome  and  even  dangerous. 
At  Castello  and  Poggio  a  Caiano,  on  the  other 
hand,  he  was  an  honoured  guest,  and,  for  lack  of 
lovers,  his  young  stepmother  was  not  displeased 
by  his  attentions.  Cosimo  kept  her  strictly  in 
seclusion,  and  she  had  not  the  courage,  or,  be  it 
said,  the  impudence  of  her  stepdaughter,  the 
Duchess  of  Bracciano.     The  loves  of  the  Cardinal 

275 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

and  Cammilla  were  in  secret  and  unprovocative ; 
indeed,  the  Grand  Duke  encouraged  the  intrigue, 
as  being  "for  Cammilla's  good." 

Here  was  a  pretty  state  of  affairs.  One  son, 
Piero,  the  seducer  of  his  mistress,  Eleanora  degli 
Albizzi,  the  other,  Ferdinando,  the  lover  of  his 
wife !  It  would  be  very  difficult,  perhaps  im- 
possible, to  exonerate  Cosimo  from  the  blame  of 
Cammilla's  unfaithfulness.  If  she  sinned,  she  did 
so  helplessly. 

Alas,  that  she  listened  not  only  to  the  amorous 
vows  of  Ferdinando,  but  also  gave  credence  to 
his  views  concerning  the  Grand  Duke  and  Grand 
Duchess  in  Florence.  She  knew,  of  course,  that 
there  was  no  love  lost  between  herself  and  them  ; 
and  she  was  quite  ready  to  entertain  the  evil 
insinuations  which  the  late  Duchess  Giovanna 
had  ventilated  with  reference  to  Bianca. 

This  cabal  was  perfectly  well  known  to  the 
Grand  Duke  Cosimo,  but  he  let  matters  take 
their  course ;  all  he  cared  for  was  the  embraces 
of  his  attractive  wife  and  the  flatteries  of  his 
hypocritical  son.  The  death  of  Duchess 
Giovanna  threw  Ferdinando  and  Cammilla  more 
than  ever  into  one  another's  arms.  What,  and  if 
Francesco  and  Bianca  died  without  male  heir ! 
Why,  on  the  death  of  Cosimo,  Ferdinando  and 
Cammilla  might  succeed  to  the  Grand  Ducal 
throne.  This  was  the  temptation  which  the 
Cardinal  placed,  like  a  young  bud,  in  Cammilla's 
bosom.     She  was  but  human — very  human  ;  she 

276 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

had  been  slighted  by  the  non-allowance  of  rank 
as  Grand  Duchess.  Perhaps  Destiny  had  still 
that  distinction  in  reserve.     She  would  wait. 

The  pathos  of  Cammilla's  life  deepened  during 
the  last  four  years  of  Grand  Duke  Cosimo's  life. 
He  became  a  constant  sufferer  with  many  in- 
firmities. The  strenuous  life  he  had  lived,  with 
its  exercise  of  lustful  love  and  lurid  hate,  tried  to 
the  breaking  point  his  iron  constitution.  Gout 
was  his  direst  torment,  a  malady  productive  of  ill- 
humour  at  its  worst,  and  poor  Cammilla,  lonely 
wife,  nurse,  companion,  had  none  to  share  his 
impatience. 

Her  own  health  gave  way  under  the  strain, 
and  her  indisposition  pointed  to  apoplexy  and  to 
mental  trouble.  But  deliverance  came  at  last. 
On  2oth  April  1574,  Cosimo  breathed  his  last  at 
Poggio  a  Caiano,  in  his  fifty-fifth  year.  By  his 
death-bed  there  watched  only  his  chastened  wife 
and  his  sanctimonious  son.  Of  his  other  surviving 
children,  Isabella — once  his  favourite — had  suffered 
for  sixteen  years  the  misunderstandings  and  the 
heartburnings  which  her  heartless  marriage-con- 
tract had  imposed  ;  she  was  estranged  from  him 
and  from  Cammilla,  and  from  the  Cardinal. 
Piero  was  a  wastrel,  the  exponent  of  his  father's 
worst  passions — Piero,  "//  Scandalezzatore''  as 
he  was  rightly  called.  Francesco  had  borne  ten 
years'  embarrassment  as  quasi-ruler  of  the  State, 
subject  to  ceaseless  cautions  and  contradictions : 
he  was,   in  no  sensuous   or  homicidal  sense,  his 

277 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

father's  son.     All    three    stayed    markedly  away 
from  PoCTorio  a  Caiano. 


'&&' 


Almost  the  first  act  of  the  new  Sovereign  was 
the  enclosure  of  his  father's  young  widow  in  a 
convent !  He  placed  her  first  with  the  Benedictine 
nuns  of  the  Vergine  dell'  Annunziata  delle 
Murate,  and  then  in  the  noble  sanctuary  of  Santa 
Monica,  not  with  her  poor  cousin  Eleanora  degli 
Albizzi  away  at  Foligno ! 

This  certainly  appears  to  the  ordinary  reader 
of  romances  a  cruel  and  unjustifiable  act,  but  to 
the  student  of  diplomatic  expediency,  it  was  a 
foregone  conclusion.  The  security  of  Francesco's 
rule  depended  entirely  upon  the  suppression  of 
dynastic  intrigues.  The  person  of  Ferdinando 
was  unassailable  ;  as  a  Prince  of  the  Church  he 
had  prerogatives  which  could  not  be  removed  by 
any  temporal  sovereign.  All  that  Francesco 
could  do  was  to  forbid  his  presence  upon  Tuscan 
territory,  and  this  he  did. 

It  does  not  appear  that  the  unhappy  Cammilla 
de'  Medici  was  harshly  used  ;  indeed  her  residence 
within  the  convent  was  made  as  agreeable  as 
possible,  and  she  had  the  privilege  of  receiving 
visitors,  other  than  political.  Madonna  Costanza 
de'  Pazzi  and  eis^ht  other  noble  ladies  were 
attached  to  her  suite,  with  five  Gentlemen  of 
Honour  and  several  domestics. 

Cavaliere  Antonio  de'  Martelli  pleaded  in 
vain  his  right  as  father  of  Cammilla  to  take  her 

278 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

and  her  child  back  under  the  parental  roof.  The 
Grand  Duke  was  immovable  in  his  resolution, 
he  counselled  the  father  to  let  the  matter  rest,  and 
gave  him  and  Madonna  Fiammetta  free  access 
to  their  daughter,  but,  on  no  account,  was  she  to 
visit  them. 

As  in  the  case  of  Eleanora  degli  Albizzi,  an 
inventory  of  jewellery  and  other  treasures  was 
made,  and  whilst  Cammilla  was  permitted  to  retain 
certain  articles,  such  objects  as  were  regarded  as 
the  property  of  the  reigning  Grand  Duchess  were 
transferred  to  the  Guardaroba  of  Bianca.  Ap- 
parently Francesco  determined  that  no  action  of 
his  against  his  father's  widow  should  be  construed 
into  a  menace  against  his  Government. 

Writing  to  the  Grand  Duke,  on  7th  August 
1574,  soon  after  Cammilla's  reception,  the  Very 
Reverend  Abbess  of  Santa  Monica  humbly 
thanked  his  Serene  Highness  "for  the  generous 
treatment  of  the  young  widow,  and  begs  remem- 
brance of  his  good  offices  for  her  and  for  the 
convent  generally." 

Trustees  were  appointed,  under  the  presidency 
of  Messer  Roberto  de'  Adimari,  the  Chancellor  of 
the  Monte  de'  Pieta,  for  the  administration  of  the 
one  hundred  and  four  thousand  gold  florins — the 
fortune  left  by  Duke  Cosimo  to  the  Lady  Cammilla, 
which  produced  an  annual  income  of  four  thousand 
eight  hundred  gold  florins  a  year,  equal  to  about 

;^2000. 

Cammilla  settled  down  as  best  she  could  to  a 
279 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

life  of  leisured  ease — a  lonesome  woman,  a  prisoner 
under  close  observation.  News  of  the  outside 
world  she  had,  and  when  the  report  of  the  horrors 
of  the  year  1576  reached  her,  she  was  prostrated 
with  grief  Indeed,  her  time  seems  to  have  been 
spent  with  repining,  weeping  and  sickness — a 
piteous  existence  for  a  young  woman  of  twenty- 
seven. 

At  length  Cammilla  braced  herself  to  bear 
her  disappointments,  her  trials,  her  imprisonment, 
with  fortitude,  and,  like  the  good  woman  she 
really  was,  she  set  to  work  to  occupy  her  time, 
and  that  of  her  suite,  in  useful  and  interesting 
occupations.  Gardening  and  the  care  of  flowers 
attracted  her,  and  soon  the  cloisters  of  the  con- 
vent were  converted  into  bowers  of  roses  and 
myrtles. 

Her  ladies  and  the  nuns  also,  she  encouraged 
in  all  elegant  handicrafts — silk-embroidery,  lace- 
making,  and  other  stitchery.  The  results  of  their 
industry  procured  immediate  custom,  and  the 
noble  cloths  and  lustrous  silks  of  Santa  Monica, 
with  the  Lady  Cammilla's  initials  attached,  became 
famous  far  and  near.  These  objects  consisted  of 
pillow-cases,  screens,  portieres,  decorative  panels, 
banners,  scarves,  cushions,  handkerchiefs,  bodices 
and  various  other  details  of  feminine  attire,  with 
rich  vestments  for  the  clergy,  and  sumptuous  altar- 
cloths. 

The  Grand  Duchess  Bianca,  who,  with 
characteristic  sweetness  and  generosity,   had  all 

280 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

along  sympathised  with  poor  Lady  Cammilla, 
was  the  best  customer  of  the  convent  industries, 
and,  moreover,  she  frequently  visited  the  gentle 
prisoner,  and  showed  her  many  charming  atten- 
tions. For  two  Medici  brides,  also,  Cammilla 
superintended  the  preparation  of  trousseaux — her 
own  daughter  Virginia,  Duke  Cosimo's  child,  and 
the  Grand  Duke's  eldest  daughter,  Maria,  who 
married  King  Henry  IV.  of  France. 

Another  sort  of  employment  found  in  the 
Lady  Cammilla  an  earnest  and  skilful  directress, 
namely,  the  manufacture  of  sweetmeats,  preserves, 
compotes,  pastries, '  and  every  sort  of  delectable 
confectionery.  Perfumes  and  liqueurs — usually  the 
piquant  produce  of  monasteries — were  also  cun- 
ningly extracted  by  Cammilla's  subtle  formulas. 
These  elegant  specialities  she  gave  away  to  old 
friends  and  visitors — enclosed  in  delicate  little 
glass  and  porcelain  bottles  and  jars  of  her  own 
design. 

The  fame  of  the  Lady  Cammilla's  skill  and 
patronage  reached  foreign  courts,  and  notable 
visitors  to  Florence  did  not  fail  to  pay  their 
courtesies  to  the  great  lady  of  the  convent. 
Two  of  these,  the  Archpriest  Monsignore  Simone 
Fortuna,  confessor  of  the  Duke  of  Urbino,  and 
Cavaliere  Ercole  Cortile,  the  ambassador  of 
Ferrara,  have  recorded  their  visits  and  their 
pleasure  at  seeing  "  La  Serena  Signora"  in  genial 
company  and  philanthropically  employed.  The 
wily  priest  added,  with  sanctimonious  admiration 

281 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

for  female  beauty  :  "La  Martelli  is  as  fascinating 
as  ever ! " 

Still,  liberty  is  liberty,  and  captivity — even 
when  made  as  attractive  and  as  unoppressive  as 
possible — is  still  captivity.  The  Lady  Cammilla 
never  left  the  confines  of  her  convent  for  twelve 
long  years,  and  not  till  4th  February  1586  was 
she  allowed  a  congd.  Then  a  sumptuous  caval- 
cade, with  splendid  sedan-chairs,  halted  at  the 
main  portal  of  Santa  Monica,  and  out  of  one 
stepped  the  Grand  Duchess  Bianca,  in  gorgeous 
State  robes.  She  had  come  to  escort  in  person 
the  Lady  Cammilla,  with  every  mark  of  respect 
and  honour,  to  the  marriage  of  her  daughter, 
Virginia  de'  Medici ! 

The  young  girl  was  just  eighteen,  passably 
old  for  a  sixteenth-century  noble  bride!  In  1575, 
she  had  been  assigned  as  the  consort  in  prospect 
of  Cavaliere  Mario  Sforza,  General  of  the  army 
of  the  Grand  Duke  Francesco.  The  match, 
however,  was  broken  off",  when  Cardinal  Ales- 
sandro  Sforza  died,  and  left  an  immense  fortune, 
but  not  to  his  nephew  Mario,  as  had  been 
expected  ;  and  so  Mario  proved  to  be  too  poor 
a  suitor  for  the  girl's  hand. 

Mario,  on  his  side,  had  cooled  much  in  his 
ardour  for  Virginia.  Reports  of  the  Cardinal  de' 
Medici's  —  Ferdinando's — familiarities,  not  only 
with  the  mother,  but  with  the  daughter  also,  were 
rife  in  Florence  and  in  Rome.  Sufficient  grounds 
there  were  for  him  to  accept  the  cancellation  of 


FERDINANDO    DE'    MEDICI- Cardinal. 
Third  Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany.    (Alessandro  Allori). 

FITTI    PALACE,    FLORENCL. 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

the  proposal  with  equanimity.  The  Marchese, 
for  so  he  had  been  created,  was  not  a  whit 
more  virtuous  than  the  men  of  his  day,  but  the 
sensuous  are  always  the  harshest  judges  of  their 
kind! 

No,  Virginia  was,  after  all,  married  to  Don 
Cesare  d'Este,  Duke  of  Modena.  She  had  by 
the  way,  been  promised,  in  1581,  to  Francesco 
Sforza  di  Santa  Fiora,  but  he  changed  his  mind 
and  renounced  the  world  —  conventionally  of 
course  —  to  accept  the  Cardinal's  red  hat  and 
privileges  from  the  hands  of  Pope  Gregory  XIII. 
So  constantly  were  natural  human  instincts  dulled 
by  the  contrariety  of  fashion  in  those  degenerate 
days! 

Of  Virginia's  marriage  Torquato  Tasso,  the 
Grand  Duchess  Bianca's  enamoured  poet-laureate, 
sang : 

"  Cio  che  morte  rallenta 
Amore  restringa  ! " 

Virginia  died  in  161 5 — some  said  she  was 
poisoned  by  her  husband — the  last  of  a  degraded 
race.     Sic  transit  gloria  Medici  ! 

The  ceremonial  of  the  nuptials  was  as  splendid 
as  a  sumptuous  Court  could  make  it,  and  as 
became  the  union  of  a  princess  of  the  House  of 
Medici  with  an  ambitious  foreig-n  Sovereiorn. 
But  whilst  men  and  women  gossiped  delightedly 
about  the  charms  of  the  beauteous  young  bride 
and   the   gallant    bearing    of    the   groom,    every 

283 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

tongue  expressed  wonderment  at  the  gracious, 
stately  figure  of  the  Lady  Cammilla.  The  chorus 
of  popular  applause  was  hushed,  however,  when 
the  pathos  of  her  story  struck  sorrowful  chords 
in  every  heart. 

Upon  the  obverse  of  the  medals  struck  for  the 
Duke  Cosimo  for  their  wedding,  twelve  years 
before,  the  Signora  is  represented  as  a  finely- 
developed  woman,  with  the  proud  profile  of  a  true 
daughter  of  Florence,  a  high  brow,  a  shapely 
nose,  full  cheeks,  and  a  dimpled  chin.  Her  attire 
is  rich,  she  wears  costly  jewels,  and  her  hair  is 
tastefully  coiffured. 

What  Cammilla's  feelings  were,  she  only 
knew,  and  she  told  them  to  no  one  :  she  bore 
herself  loftily,  and  made  no  one  her  confidante. 
After  the  solemnity  and  festivities  she  betook 
herself  once  more — she  had  no  other  choice — to 
her  convent  prison,  the  poorer  for  the  loss  of  her 
cherished  child,  the  richer  in  the  estimation  of  all 
good  people. 

Henceforth,  her  inclusion  among  the  Religious 
was  to  be  more  rigorous,  and  she  never  expected 
to  be  seen  again  in  Florence :  dolorous  indeed 
must  have  been  that  parting  with  the  world  she 
loved,  but  so  little  knew.  She  viewed  the 
coming  years  with  apprehension  and  hopelessness. 
She  had  not  reached  the  measure  of  her  destiny, 
but  for  that,  mercifully,  she  had  not  very  long  to 
wait,  and  yet  there  was  to  be  another  slight  rift 
in  the  clouds  of  misery. 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

From  time  to  time  Cammilla  had  suffered  from 
fainting  fits  and  attacks  of  hysteria,  but  after  her 
separation  from  Virginia,  these  increased  greatly 
in  frequency  and  intensity.  Skilful  medical  treat- 
ment was  of  no  avail,  and  at  length  her  doctors 
appealed  to  the  Grand  Duke  for  some  relaxation 
of  her  imprisonment.  Freedom  from  restraint 
and  the  benefit  of  urgently  needed  change,  they 
knew,  would  work  wonders  in  the  way  of 
recovery. 

Don  Francesco  was  immovable  to  all  such 
representations ;  he  had  over  and  over  again 
declined  to  reverse  or  modify  his  decision.  His 
fully  justified  fear  of  the  Cardinal's  intrigues  acted 
as  a  negative  magnet  to  all  his  best  propositions. 
He  and  she  were  bound  together,  he  felt  sure,  in 
schemes  for  his  own  undoing,  and  Bianca's  too. 

The  Lady  Cammilla's  life  became  at  last 
intolerable ;  sickness,  suspicion,  and  discontent 
fastened  their  dire  influences  upon  her.  She 
neglected  useful  and  ornamental  pastimes,  became 
morose  and  impatient,  and  gave  way  to  fits  of 
frenzied  desperation.  The  Abbess,  greatly 
alarmed,  took  counsel  with  her  spiritual  advisers, 
who  judged  that  the  unhappy  lady  was  losing 
her  reason,  and,  perchance,  her  soul.  Her  con- 
dition became  so  critical  that  in  April  1587  the 
Tuscan  ambassador  in  Rome  applied  to  the  Pope 
for  permission  for  the  chaplain  of  the  convent  to 
celebrate  a  Mass  for  the  exorcism  of  the  poor 
lady! 

285 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

In  October  of  that  year  the  fell  schemes  of 
Cardinal  Ferdinando  had,  at  last,  their  fruition, 
and  the  Grand  Duke  and  Grand  Duchess  died 
together  at  Poggio  a  Caiano,  victims  of  his  jealousy 
and  hate.  He  obtained  at  last  what  he  had  striven 
for  so  unscrupulously  for  twenty  years — the  suc- 
cession to  the  Tuscan  throne. 

Be  it,  however,  in  justice  told,  with  respect  to 
the  Lady  Cammilla,  for,  when  he  had  spurned  the 
dead  body  of  the  Grand  Duchess,  and  hypocriti- 
cally sad,  had  followed  the  remains  of  his  poisoned 
brother  to  San  Lorenzo,  he  went  right  off  to  the 
convent  of  Santa  Monica,  and  acquainted  her 
personally  with  the  fact  of  delivery  from  a  living 
tomb. 

They  had  only  met  very  occasionally  during 
the  last  few  years,  and  she  had  changed  greatly — 
perhaps  he  had,  too.  Her  terrible  trials,  her 
bodily  sicknesses,  and  her  mental  derangements 
had  made  ineffaceable  marks  in  the  erstwhile 
beauteous  girl,  and  Cammilla  de'  Medici  was  no 
longer  possible  as  the  wife  of  the  renegade 
Cardinal.  Marriage  was  out  of  the  question  for 
her ;  indeed,  her  very  existence  was  at  stake,  and 
all  that  Ferdinando  could  do  was  to  alleviate  the 
sufferings  of  his  innamorata,  and  to  cheer  her 
declining  days. 

Many  years  before,  Ferdinando  had  purchased 
a  piece  of  ground  at  the  confluence  of  the  Arno 
and  Pesa,  and,  upon  it,  he  built  the  Villa 
Ambrogiana,  which  he  furnished  in  lavish  style, 

286 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

boasting  that  "  it  will  be  handy  when  I  come  into 
my  own  !  "  This  estate,  with  a  sufficient  house- 
hold, he  made  over  to  the  Lady  Cammilla,  for  her 
own  free  use.  Before,  however,  she  took  up  her 
residence,  Ferdinando,  now,  of  course,  Grand 
Duke  of  Tuscany,  placed  at  her  disposal  a  country 
villa  in  the  Val  d'Ema,  to  which  the  suffering 
Signora  was  taken,  in  the  hope  that  the  fresh  air 
and  pleasant  outlook  would  assist  the  recovery  of 
her  health  and  spirits. 

She  improved  wonderfully  in  every  way — the 
fact  that  she  was  again  her  own  mistress  and 
free  to  come  and  go  at  will,  fortified  her  im- 
mensely, and  she  determined  to  devote  the 
residue  of  her  life  to  the  interests  of  Ferdinando. 
Called  upon,  at  his  succession  to  the  throne,  to 
renounce  his  spiritual  character  —  it  was  a 
character,  indeed,  which  ill-fitted  him — the  new 
Grand  Duke  devoted  himself  to  the  duties  of  his 
high  station.  The  Lady  Cammilla,  who  had 
been  his  confidante  in  days  gone  by,  was  still 
retained  as  counseller  and  guide.  Marriage  was 
the  most  urgent  necessity  of  the  Grand  Duke 
for  the  procreation  of  legitimate  heirs. 

He  was  surrounded  by  heirs-presumptive  and 
aspirants  to  the  throne — Don  Antonio,  his 
brother's  adopted  son  ;  Don  Giovanni,  his  father's 
legitimatised  son  by  Eleanora  degli  Albizzi ;  his 
brother  Piero,  and  any  one  of  his  bastard  sons, 
and  several  other  scions  of  the  house.  The  Lady 
Cammilla  entered  heartily  into  all   her  stepson's 

287 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

ideas,  and  quickly,  though  doubtlessly  regretfully, 
agreed  with  him  that  a  brilliant  foreign  alliance 
was  an  absolute  necessity. 

Together  they  passed  in  review  the  names  of 
all  the  eligible  princesses  in  Europe,  and  at  last 
their  choice  fell  upon  Princess  Christina,  the 
young  daughter  of  Charles,  Duke  of  Lorraine, 
and  nephew  of  Queen  Caterina  de'  Medici.  She 
was  received  in  Florence  with  joy,  and  married 
to  the  Grand  Duke  in  1589.  The  Lady 
Cammilla  graced  the  nuptials  with  her  presence, 
laying  aside  the  dark-hued  garments  of  sorrow 
which  she  had  assumed  and  worn  so  long. 

That  was  the  last  time  Cammilla  was  seen  in 
public  ;  she  retired  first  to  her  villa  on  the  Arno, 
and  then,  seeing  that  the  symptoms  of  illness 
were  returning,  she  voluntarily  retired  once  more 
into  what  had  been  her  prison  and  her  home — 
the  convent  of  Santa  Monica,  where  she  breathed 
her  last  on  the  30th  of  May  1590,  at  the  early 
age  of  forty-five,  to  the  unutterable  sorrow  of  the 
devoted  ladies  of  her  suite  and  her  faithful 
attendants.  In  the  Libri  de  Morti  (1577- 
1591)  we  read  under  that  date:  "La  Signora 
Cammilla  d'il  Serenissimo  Gran  Duca  Cosimo  de' 
Medici,  despositata  in  San  Lorenzo."  Some  say 
she  died  imbecile. 

Upon  the  reverse  of  one  medal,  which  Cosimo 
had  struck  in  honour  of  their  nuptials,  was  cut 
around  the  heraldic  emblazonment  of  an  oak  tree 
and  a  dragon,  her  legend  :  "  Uno  avulso  non  deficit 

288 


The  Tragedies  of  the  Medici 

alter  aureus.''  This  may  be  the  epitome  of  her 
life's  history,  and  upon  it  one  may  moralise  at 
will ;  and  certainly  readers  of  the  "  Tragedy 
of  Cammilla  de'  Martelli "  will  admit  that  a 
spoilt  life  is  as  great  a  catastrophe  as  a  violent 
death. 

It  requires  no  great  stretch  of  the  imagination 
to  picture  the  morals  and  the  manners  of  society 
in  Tuscany  during  the  last  half  of  the  sixteenth 
century.  The  superabundance  of  private  riches 
and  the  enervation  of  idle  leisure  destroyed  the 
framework  of  domestic  economy;  '' Di  fare  il 
Signore  V' — to  play  the  gentleman — was  the 
current  mode.  Everyone  strove  to  surpass  his 
neighbours  in  luxury  and  extravagance. 

The  example  of  the  Court  was  felt  in  every 
grade  of  life :  marital  unfaithfulness,  personal 
spleen,  and  family  feuds  divided  every  household. 
The  worst  of  human  passions  ran  riot,  and  life 
became  a  pandemonium,  wherein  the  sharp 
poignard,  the  poison  phial,  and  the  strangling 
rope,  played  their  part  at  the  dastardly  will  of 
their  owners. 

Fair  Florence  was  still — as  she  will  ever  be — 
"  The  City  of  the  Lily  "  ;  but  the  blue  and  silver 
emblematic  giglio — the  modestly  unfolding  fra- 
grant iris  of  the  unsophisticated  countryside, 
drooped  before  the  flaming,  passionate  tiger-lily 
of  the  formal  garden  of  debauchery,  with  its 
pungent  odour  and  its  secretive,  incurled  scarlet 
r  289 


The  Tragedies  of  the   Medici 

petals — splashed  with  the   blacks  and  yellows  of 
crime  and  greed ! 

"  Nature  ever 
Finding  discordant  fortune,  like  all  seed 
Out  of  its  proper  climate,  thrives  but  ill : 
But  were  the  world  content  to  work, 
And  work  on  the  foundation  Nature  lays, 
It  would  not  lack  of  excellence."  .  .  . 

Il  Paradiso,  Canto  viii. 


V)0 


/ 


A  SHORT  BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Anecdota  Letteraria.     4  vols.     Florence.     1773. 

Bocchi,  F.,  Le  Bellezze  della  Citta  di  Firenze.    Florence.    1591. 

Corsini,  B.,  Lorenzino  de'  Medici.     Florence.     1890. 

Cronacci,  F.,  Lorenzo  de"  Medici.     Florence.     1760. 

Dumas,  A.,  U7ie  Annie  a  Florence.     2  vols.     Paris.      1841. 

Dumas,  A.,  Les  Galeries  de  Florence.     Paris.      1842. 

Fabroni,  A.,  Vie  de  Laurent  de  Medicis.     Paris.     1791. 

Ferrai,  L.  A.,  Lorenzino  de^  Medici.     Florence.     1891. 

YexxviCCio^M..,  Lorenzino  de^  Medici.     Florence.     1890. 

Galetti,  P.  Poesie  di  Don  Francisco  de'  Medici  e  Bianca  Cappello. 
Florence.     1894. 

Guerrazzi,  F.  D.,  Isabella  d^Orsini.     Florence.      1847. 

Hyett,  F.  A.,  Florence  :  Her  History  and  Art.    London.     1903. 

'Laxi6.\xcc\,'L.,  Diario  Fiorentzno — 1400-1526.    Florence.    1883. 

Lecluse,  E.  J.  de,  Florence  et  ses  Vicissitudes.     Paris.     1837. 

Levantini,  P.  G.,  Lncrezia  de^  Tornabuoni.     Florence.     1888. 

Litta,  P.,  Famiglie  Celebri  Italiani.     11  vols.     Milan.     18 19. 

/Macchiavelli,  N.,  Le  Istorie  Florentine.     Florence.     1888. 

Miintz,  E.,  Florence  et  La  Toscane.     Paris.     1901. 

Napier,  H.  E.,  Florentitie  History.     6  vols.     London.     1846. 

Nestor,  J.,  Histoire  des  Homme  Celebre  de  la  Maison  de  Medicis. 
Paris.     1564. 

Odorici,  P.,  Biafica  Cappello.     Florence,      i860. 

Perrens,  F.  T.,  La  Civilisation  Florentine.     Paris.      1893. 

Do.  Histoire  de  Florence.     6  vols.     Paris.     1877. 

Do.  Histoire  de  Florence — 1434-1531.   3V0IS.   Pari  s . 

1888. 

Rastrelli,  M.,  Storia  di  Alessandro  de''  Medici.     2  vols.     Flor- 
ence.    1 781. 

Reumont,  Alf.  de,  Lorenzo  de'  Medici.     2  vols.     Paris.     1876. 

291 


/ 


A  Short  Bibliography- 
Ross,  Janet,  Florentine  Palaces  and  their  Stories.  London. 
1905. 

"Sioscoe,^.,  Lorenzo  il  Magnifico.     London.     1847. 

San  Severino,  G.  R.,  Historie  de  la  Vie  de  Bianca  Cappello. 
Milan.     1790. 

^dX\M\\,Q.Yj.,  Tragedie  Medicee.     Florence.     1898. 

Siefenkies,  J.  P.  L.,  Life  of  Bianca  Cappello.     London.     1787. 

Staley,  E.,  The  Guilds  of  Florence.     London.     1906. 

Tenhove,  N.,  Memoirs  of  the  House  of  Medici.  2  vols.  Lon- 
don.    1797. 

TroUope,  T.  A.,  History  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Florence.  4 
vols.     London.     1865. 

Valori,  N.,  La  Vie  de  Laurent  de  Medici.     Paris.     1761. 

Varchi,  B.,  Storia  Fiorentina.     3  vols.     Florence.     1838. 

Varillas,  A.,  "  'AvezSorci  'Erspovpiaxa.^'     1686. 

Villari,  P.,  Life  and  Times  of  Niccolo  Macchiavelli.  2  vols. 
Florence.     1891. 

Yriarte,  C.,  La  Vie  d^un  Patricien.     1884. 


292 


INDEX 


Abbioso,  Bishop,  201,  237,  238 
Acciaiuoli,  Agnolo,  32 

,,  Donato,  14,  57 

Adrian  VI.,  Pope,  71,  107 
Albizzi,  Family  of,  251 

,,      Constanza,  252 

,,      Eleanora,  215,  250-269,  271- 
275.  279 

„      Luigi,  252-256,  267,  270 

,,      Nannina,  252-255,  270 
Alfonso  II.,   Duke  of  Ferrara,   130, 

135.  153-167 
Ambrogiana,  Villa  of,  216,  286 
Antinori,  Bernardino,  175-177 
,,        Filippo,  176 


B 


Banding,  Bernardo,  39,  42,  44-60 
Barga,  Antonio  da,  124,  140 
Baroncelli,  Villa  of,  187,   191,    194, 

199,  269 
Bentivoglio,  Count  Ulisse,  228,  245- 

249 
Boscoli,  Pietro  P.,  70 
Bracciolini,  Giacopo,  39,  50 
Brivio,  Francesco,  126 
Buonaventuri,  Constanza,  205-210 

,,  Giovanni,  B.,  205-208, 

216 
,,  Pietro,   192,  203-218, 

243 
,,  Zenobio,  205-208,  216 

Buonromeo,  Carlo,  26 

,,  Giovanni,  26 


Cafaggiuolo,   Villa  of,    152,    178, 

194 
Cappello,  Bartolommeo,  204,  238 


Capponi,  Bernardo,  70 
,,        Piero,  66,  67 
Castello,  Villa  of,  in,  117,  170,  171, 

191,  254,  272,  274,  275 
Cavalcanti,  Antonio,  46,  47 
Cerreto  Guidi,  Villa  of,  152,  191,  196 
Cesare,  d'Este,  Duke  of  Modena,  283 
Charles  V.,  Emperor,  83,  85,89,  107, 

no,  113,  116,  120,  184 
Charles  VIII.,   King  of  France,  62, 

.65,  68 
Cibo,  Cardinal,  98,  99,  in,  113,  115 
Colonna,  Giulia  Gonzaga,  86,  87 
Contrari,  Creole,  166 
Corsi,  Amerigo,  39 
"  Cosa  di  Cosimo,"  250,  254,  272 
,,     di  Francesco,"  189,  199,  212, 

217 
,,     della  Lussuria,"  163 


Dei,  Benedetto,  xxvii,  62 
Delia  Murate,  Convent  of,  75,  278 
Domenico,  Giovanni,  39 


Ercole  II.,  Duke  of  Ferrara,  130, 
135.  153.  157.  161 


Florence,  Am7noniti,  53 

,,  "II  governo  d'un  solo," 

84,  226 
,,  "Tyrant  of,"  85,  250 

,,  hot-bed  of  crime,  84,  170, 

173.  190 
,,  first  of  modern  states,  62 

,,  office  of  Gonfaloniere  di 

Giustizia  abolished,  83 


293 


Index 


Florence,  "A  monster,"  91 

,,  fortress  of  San  Giovanni. 

no,  119 
,,  tyrannicide  studies,  109 

,,  violent  deaths  in,  119 

,,  patronage  of  Cosimo  I., 

121,  136-138 
, ,  Cappella  degli  Spagnuoli, 

121,  187 
,,  Accademia  della  Crusca, 

121 
,,  ,,  delleElevati, 

123 
,,  training    of  children  in, 

123" 
,,  "  Cicisbeo,"  191 

,,  "  Partiti,"  213 

,,  "The     Three    Graces," 

219 
,,  "  City  of  Assassins,"  220 

Fondi,  Castle  of,  86 
Francis  I.,  King  of  France,  69,  107 
Franzesi,  Napoleone,  39,  55 


Gaci,  Alessandro,  174 
Gianfigliazzi,  Bongiano,  14,  42 
Ginori,  Caterina,  94 

,,      Francesco,  175 
Giovanni  da  Perugia,  39,  50 
Giucciardini,    Francesco,   16.  27,  63, 

79,  100,  III,  113,  114,  115 
Giucciardini,  Luigi,  41 
Gregory  XIII.,  Pope,  283 


H 
Henry  II.,  King  of  France,  76 


Julius  II.,  Pope,  70 

,,      III.,  Pope,  143,  154 


Lando,  Michaele,  "  Ciompi  "  ris- 
ing, XX 
"La  Simonetta,"  13,  15,  227 


M 


MACCHIAVELLI,  NiCCOLO,  Xxiv,  XXV, 

3,  12,  27,  52,  70,226 

Madrigals,    Francesco    de'  Medici's, 
212,  226,  231 

Maffei,  Frate  Antonio,  39,  43,  54 

Malatesti,  Family  of,  125 
,,        Jacopo,  125 
,,         Lamberto,  125 
,,         Leonida,  125,  127 
,,        Malatesta,  125-134 

Martelli,  Family  of,  xxiii,  209.  270 
.,        Antonio,  269-273,  278 
,,        Baccio,  Admiral,  144 
,,        Cammilla  {see  Medici) 
,,        Domenico,  5,  14,  269 
,,        Maria,  270,  273 
,,        Violante,  274 

Maximilian,  Emperor,   167,  212,  255, 

273 
Medici,  Alamanno,  xvi 

,,       Alessandro,    First    Duke   of 

Florence,  xxviii,  61-101 
,,  Alfonsina  d'Orsini,  64,  168 
,,       Antonio,    supposititious    son 

of  Bianca  Cappello,  222, 

223,  225,  232,   236,    237, 

238,  287 
,,       Ardingo,  xvi 
,,       Averardo  I.,  xiv 
'„  „         II.    XV 

,,  ,,         III.,  "Bicci,"  xvi 

,,       Bianca    Cappello-Buonaven- 

turi,     176,    189-193,    199, 

201-243,    246,    254,    258, 

263,  282 
,,       Bianca.    daughter    of    Piero 

"il  Gottoso,"  26,  182 
,,       Bonagiunto,  xiii 
,,       Cammilla  de'  Martelli,  191, 

215,  234,  250,  269-289 
,,       Caterina.  Queen  of  France, 

xxviii,     70,     74-78,     106, 

195,  200,  288 
,,       Chiarissimo  I.,  xi 

„  II.,  xiii 

,,  ,,  III.,  xiv 

,,       Clarice  d'Orsini,  42,  43,63, 

168 
,,       Clarice,  wife  of  Filippo  negli 

Strozzi,    61,    62,     75,    79, 

80 
,,       Contessina  (de'  Bardi),  44 


294 


Index 


Medici,  Cosimo,  "II  Padre  della 
Patria,"  xvi,  xxiv,  xxv, 
xxvi,  23,  63,  75,  77,  251 

,,  Cosimo  I.,  First  Grand 
Duke  of  Tuscany,  xxviii, 
99,  102-288 

,,       Cristina  of  Lorraine,  288 

,,  Eleanora  de'  Toledo,  102, 
116,  120,  121,  128,  133, 
135,  144-148,  150,  158- 
160, 167,  168,  187,  213,  257 

,,  Eleanora  de'  Garzia,  152, 
168-180 

,,  Ferdinando,  son  of  Cosimo 
I.,  Cardinal,  122,  169, 181, 

192,  201-243,    255,    268, 
274-278,  286,  287 

,,       Filippo  or  Lippo,  xiv 

,,       Filippo,  son  of  Grand  Duke 

Francesco,  224,  228,  229 
,,       Francesco,     Second     Grand 
Duke    of    Tuscany,     120, 
143,   151,   159,    161,   165, 
172,    175,    180-182,    191- 

193,  201-243,    254,    257- 
259,  263,  272,  277,  285 

,,       Garzia,    son   of    Cosimo    I., 
103,  122,     139-15O)    169= 
.238 
,,       Gianbuono,  xii 
,,       Giovanna    of    Austria,    167, 
168,  175,    191,  192,    209, 
212-224,  244,  255,  276 
,,       Giovanni,  First  Tragedy,  xvi 
,,  ,,         son    of    Averardo 

III.,  xxi,  xxviii, 

251 
,,  „         son  of  Cosimo  "II 

Padre      delle 

Patria."     {see 

Chart) 
,,  ,,         "II       Popolano," 

xvi,  103 
,,  ..         son  of  "II  Magni- 

fico,"  67,  69-72, 

104 
,,  ,,         "delle  Bande 

Nere,"        xxviii, 

77,  103,  104,  105, 

107,  125,  260 
,,  ,,         son  of  Cosimo  I., 

Cardinal,        103, 

122,         139-150. 

162,  182 


Medici,    Giovanni,  son  of    Eleanora 
degli        Albizzi, 
263-266,  287 
,,  ,,         Second    "Grand  " 

Medici,  xxi, 

xxviii,  251 
,,  ,,         Pope  Leo  X.,  67, 

69-72,  104 
,,       Giuliano,  "  II     Pensieroso," 

1-60,  63,  227 
,,  ,,         son  of  "  II  Magni- 

fico,"    Duke     of 
Nemours,  61,65, 
69-71 
,,  ,,         brother   of    Loren- 

zino,  112,  117 
,,       Giulio,  Pope  Clement  VII., 
xxviii,  62,  70-80,  S'^,  85, 
86,  107-109,  184 
,,       Ippolito,  Cardinal,  61-IOI 
,,       Isabella  Romola,  daughter  of 
Cosimo  I.,   121,   152-154, 
169,   171,  172,    178,    181- 
199,  255,  259,  275 
,,       "La  Bia,"  116,  120 
,,       Laudomia,  daughter  of  Pier- 

francesco  II.,  118 
,,       Lorenzo,    son    of    Giovanni, 
"  Bicci,"       xxii, 
xxviii 
,,  ,,         "II       Magnifico," 

xxiv,    xxv,    xxvi, 
1-60,  62,  64 
,,  ,,         Duke    of    Urbino, 

xxviii,  62-65,  ^9" 
72 
"  II  Terribile,"  90- 

lOI 

,,       Luigia,     daughter     of     "II 

Magnifico,"  65 
,,       Lucrezia,  de'  Tornabuoni,  3- 

10, 18, 21,44,  52 
,,  ,,         daughter     of     "II 

Magnifico,"    75, 

io6i 
,,  ,,  daughter         of 

Cosimo   I.,   122, 

135.  153-167 
,,       Maddalena,  daughter  of  "II 

Magnifico,"  iii 
,,       Maddalena,  daughter  of  Pier- 

francesco  II.,  118 
,,       Margaret  of  Austria,  83,  89, 

99,  100,  113,  168 


295 


Index 


Medici,  Maria  Lucrezia,  daughter  of 
Cosimol.,  103,  120,  122- 

133 
,,       Maria    Lucrezia,    Queen    of 

France,  236,  237,  281 
,,       Palace  of  Via    Larga,    5,  7, 

41-48,  61,  67,  78,  89,  97, 

111-I13,     116,    124,    253, 

259 
,,       Palace    of    Pilti,     125,    129, 
131,    137,    138,    159,   190, 
198,  227,  262-264,  274 
,,       Pierfrancesco  II.,  90,  117 
,,       Piero,  "  II  Gottoso,"  xxvi,  2, 
4,  7>  II,  12,  18,  63, 
182 
,,  ,,       son    of    "  II   Magni- 

fico,"  63-68 
,,  ,,       son  of  Cosimo  I. .  122, 

169,     170-181,    192, 
234,  246,  255.  264, 
266,  274,  277,  287 
,,       Salvestro  I.,  xv 
„  ,,         First         "  Grand " 

Medici,  xvi,  251 
,,       Tommaso,    Court    Chamber- 
lain, 126 
,,       Virginia,  daughter  of  Cosimo 
I.,  246,  272,  281,  282 
Montemurlo,  battle  of,  118 
Montesicco,    Condottiere   G.  B.   da, 
S    36-60 
Mugello,  valley  of,  xviii,  17,  122 


N 

Neroni,  Giovanni,  32 
Nori,  Francesco,  46 


O 


Orsini,  Family  of,  184 

,,       Alfonsina  {see  Medici) 

,,       Clarice  [see  Medici) 

,,       Paolo    Giordano,    Duke    of 
Bracciano,  172,  184-200 

,,       Rinaldo,  Archbishop,  28,  32 

,,       Roberto,  64,  68 

,,       Troilo,  187-200 
Orte  Oricellari,  191,  221,  222,  232 


Pandolfini,  Agnolo,  xxiii 

Pantiatichi,  Carlo,  262-268 
Passerini,  Cardinal  Silvio  de',  62,  71, 

77-80 
Paul  II.,  Pope,  IS 

,,    III.,  Pope,  85,  112 

,.    IV.,  Pope,  183,  184 
Pazzi,  Family  of,  22,  25,  26 

,,     Andrea,  23 

,,     Antonio  I.,  22 
,.      11-,  23 
»      III.,  25 

,,     Constanza,  278 

,,     Francesco,  16,  20,  22,  25,  27- 
60 

,,     Giacopo,  23,  24,  25,  36-60 

,,     Giovanni,  25,  55 

,,     Guglielmo,  25,  39,  55 

,,     Piero,  23,  55 

,,     Renato,  24,  55 

,,     Wrongingof  the,  27 

,,     "  Ordinamenti    di     Giustizia " 
and  the,  23 
Pellegrina,      daughter      of       Bianca 

Cappello,  211,  228,  236,  244-249 
Perugino,  Giovanni,  39 
Petrucci,  Cesare  de',  20,  49,  57 
Philip,  King  of  Spain,  180 
Pitti,  Gianozzo,  5 
Pius  IV.,  Pope,  100,  142 
Platonic  Academy,  12,  41,  227 
Poggio  a  Caiano,  Villa  of,  78-80,  160, 

171,  201,  219,  230,  231,  239,  241, 

274-277 
Poliziano,  Agnolo,  27,  29,  34,  47 
Portinari,  Beatrice,  271 
Poviano,  Frate  Stefano,  39,  43,  47?  54 
Prato,  sack  of,  69 

Pratolino,  Villa  of,  191,  192,  227,  236 
Pucci,  Giovanni,  240 


R 


Renata,    Duchess  of  Ferrara,   158, 

161,   164 
Riari,  Antonio,  247-249 

5,     Caterina,  29,  30 

,,     Girolamo,  Count,  28,  33,  37-60 

,,     Piero,  Cardinal,  29,  34 
Ricci,  Cassandra,  217,  218,  270 
Riccio,  Pierfrancesco,  109,  124,  140 


296 


Ind 


ex 


Ridolfi,  Antonio,  48 
,,      Piero,  71 
,,      Rosso,  78 

Rome,  sack  of,  79 


Salviati,  Family  of,  105 

Francesco,  Archbishop,  28, 

32,  33>  37-60 
Giacomo,  71,  75,  105-106, 

no 
Giacopo,  38,  50 
Giacopo  di  Giacopo,    39, 

50 
Maria,   98,    103,    105-109, 

112,  116,  118,  257 
Pietro,  79,  257 
Sansoni,  Raffaele,  Cardinal,  40, 42,  43, 

49 
Santa  Monica,  Convent  of,  278,  279, 

286,  288 
San  Onofrio,  Convent  of,  265,    268, 

278 
Savonarola,  Frate  G.,  18,  65,  68 
Sforza,  Almeni,  Cosimo  I.'s  secretary, 
256-260 
,,     Caterina,  104,  119 
,,     Galeazzo  Maria,  Duke  of  Milan, 
14,  30,  104,  119 
Sixtus  IV.,  Pope,  14,  20,  24,  30,  ^^, 

35-68,  247 
Sixtus  VI.,  Pope,  202,  229,  235,  246, 

261,  272 
Soderini,  Family  of,  3 

,,        Dianora   (de'   Tornabuoni), 
3.  21 


Soderini,  Francesco,  3 
,,        Maria,  90 
,,        Niccolo,  3,  5,  79,  269 

Piero,  68 
,,        Tommaso,  3,  4-6,  20-22 
Strozzi,  Alessandra  (de'  Machingi),  25 
,,      Filippo,  25, 46,  48,  79,  80,  85, 

97,  118,  119 
,,       Roberto,  112 
Stufa,  Agnolo  della,  14,  41 
,,     Luigi,  77 
,,     Sismondo,  48 


Tana,  Villa  della,  221 

Tasso,  Torquato,  233,  283 

"  The  Golden  Rose,"  229 

Torello,  Lelio,  194-200 

Tornabuoni,  Giovanni  de',  15,  28,  46 
,,  Lorenzo  de',  46 

,,  Lucrezia  {see  Medici) 

. ,  Dinora  (see  Soderini) 

Tovallaccino,  Michaele,  93-97 

Tyrants,  families  of,  156 

"  Tyrant  of  Tyrants,"  167 


U 


Urbino,  Federigo,  Duke  of,  31,  35 


Varchi,  Benedetto,  78,  in,  114 
Vespucci,  Marco,  13,  46 


297 


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